Abigail Foley Moore

Reflections of Abigail Foley Moore
Our mother died peacefully in the early morning hours of April 3rd. She was 86 years of age. She was born in Canonsburg, PA, the only daughter of George and Margaret Foley. She was raised in a town south of Pittsburgh, PA known for its historic education center, nearby coal mining and railroad economy. She was the last surviving member of the Foley family predeceased by her brothers John, Jim, and George. Canonsburg was known for its musical celebrities including crooner Perry Como. Bobby Vinton was a classmate of our mother's and they were believed to have dated in high school.

Mom graduated from Mount Mercy College (now Carlow University) in Pittsburgh with a degree in Nutrition. She was introduced to my father, Robert Moore, by his best friend Frank Florian, who was a resident of Washington, PA, the county seat of Washington County. Our parents were married at St. Patrick's in Canonsburg in September of 1956. They lived in Orange, Texas for the first two years where Dad was first hired and worked for Dupont. They returned to Canonsburg and then moved to Bethel Park and then to Upper St. Clair Township. Before moving to Philadelphia, mom had bore seven children, one girl and six boys. A seventh son, Daniel, was born shortly after the move to Philadelphia in the early 1970's, and mom and dad raised eight children in their suburban home in Wallingford, PA.

Our mother was very proud of her family and supported her children through high school and college. She found time to become active in a community vocal group, The Valley Voices, where her husband Bob was the piano accompanist. Mom loved to attend local community plays and musical and theater events in the greater Philadelphia area with her husband and friends. She was a founding member of a women's investment club in Wallingford. She worked as a part-time secretary for a professor of Women's Studies at neighboring Swarthmore College. She became a volunteer at an AIDS hospice in Chester, PA inspired by Mother Teresa and run by the Sisters of Charity. In her fifties, she worked as a secretary for a law firm in Media, PA a block from the county courthouse.

After retiring from her work, she became a docent at the Brandywine River Museum because of her love of the work of Andrew Wyeth and the work of his father, siblings and children. She was well-loved by her friends, her husband Bob, her children and family relations.

She is predeceased by her husband, Robert Moore (86 years of age), and leaves behind eight children, Mary, Dan, Mike, Dewey, Chris, Tom, John, and Bob, one brother-in-law, Franklin, eleven grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Her smile, hugs and laugh were her trademark. She was the strongest and most beautiful five-foot two woman a person could ever happen to meet.