Nancy Sheldon Moore, born December 7, 1921, passed away March 27, 2017 of congestive heart failure in Del Mar, California.

She is survived by her daughters, Martha Moore '71, Rae Moore Luce '73, and Shelley Moore Gustafson '76.

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I will always remember my mom, a retired SPJHS (now Middle School) art teacher, sitting quietly at a table amongst spilled water color puddles that slowly bled onto crisp new paper, creating fabulous new images. On occasion she would muse about her teaching career in its entirety. Often when I shared with her something 'new' I was doing in my job as an ELA curriculum specialist for my school district, she would recall the 1970s shift in curricular focus from fine art to mechanical drawing, proudly recounting stories of the classes she chose to take at the local university in order to 'stay current' with the changing times. She would often ask a flurry of questions about current teaching practices, punctuating curiosities about a term she didn't understand with the words, "Let's Google it!"

Nancy Moore's quest to seek clarity about the changing dynamics of teaching was actually the hallmark of her remarkable life. Born in a modest home on Spruce Street, and raised in South Pasadena until she moved to Westwood to attend UCLA, she passed away quietly on March 27, 2017. She was 95 going on 70! She leaves behind to celebrate her life three loving daughters, all graduates of SPHS:  Martha Moore '71, Rae Moore Luce '73 and Shelley Moore Gustafson '76 as well as five grandchildren, three of whom also attended schools in South Pas.

Mom was innately curious and no matter where she was, teaching and learning were at the center. Her more recent years living in Del Mar found her taking art classes at the local Senior Center, not because she needed to learn 'more' about her technique, but rather, spending time in a 'classroom environment' simply made her day. Plus, she admitted rather coyly, she was probably 'better' than the teacher which always made her giggle. She gained more from the shifting movements of her brush as her still nimble hands created and recreated an unfolding image. For mom, it was not about the final product, the artist's version of a final 'score' but rather her life journey that had forever changed her crafts.

We'd like to think that Nancy Moore is now painting stars in Heaven!

Shelley Moore Gustafson '76