- Born on: June 16, 1935
- Departed on: December 21, 2023
- Resided in: Iowa City, IA
Margaret Mary Moore
Margaret Mary (Banks) Moore, 88, passed away Thursday, December 21, 2023, in Iowa City, Iowa. She is survived by her sister Mary (Banks) Pioli, three daughters and two sons-in-law, Beth and Umberto Pascali, Anne Moore, Cathleen Moore and Toby Mordkoff, as well as two grandchildren, Mairead and Kieran Moore.
Margaret was born in Niagara Falls to Professor George and Ruth Banks on June 16, 1935. She had three older siblings, Adrian, Paul, and Teresa and two younger siblings, Lawrence, and Mary. In 1959, she married Dr. James (Jim) P. Moore, with whom she had four children, Elisabeth (Beth), Anne, William (Billiam, deceased in 2016), and Cathleen, while living in different parts of the country including Cincinnati, Ohio, Sacramento, California, and Silver Spring, Maryland. Margaret and Jim returned to Niagara Falls in 1968.
Margaret had Masters degrees in English and Library Science, and she was passionately committed to education both for her own children and for others. She was one of the first female members of the Niagara Falls Board of Education (1976 – 1981), where she served as Vice President and worked tirelessly to, among other efforts, ensure the successful implementation of the newly passed Title IX requirements. She was also a founder of the Music School of Niagara in the 1980s which was located in the old library building in downtown Niagara Falls and had the mission of providing music education to children and adults in the Niagara area regardless of their financial means.
Margaret later divorced and, in 1988, moved to Tucson, AZ where she began a new chapter of her life. She loved the Southwest and made many friends during her 33 years there, including Dorothea Nobile whom she referred to as her 4th daughter. She also met, and formally committed (2008) to her life partner, Hannah Blue Heron (deceased in 2014). Together, with Hannah as author and Margaret as editor, they published several novels, collections of essays and poetry, and a CD of music composed by Hannah. The two also encouraged other local authors and artists by hosting monthly salons.
In 2021, Margaret moved to the community of Briarwood Healthcare Center in Iowa City where she could be closer to her daughters, Anne and Cathleen. In the last month of her life, she was able to see her granddaughter Mairead’s professional performance of Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, and enjoyed an extended visit from her oldest daughter, Beth, who lives in Virginia. She was with Anne and Cathleen during her last moments with us. All in all, it was a life well lived (Ya done good, Margaret!).
Her family is planning a memorial service for Margaret in Western New York later in 2024.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to St. Luke’s Home in Tucson (Donate Online - St Luke's Home (stlukeshometucson.org), where Margaret lived for her final eight years in Tucson.
Margaret was born in Niagara Falls to Professor George and Ruth Banks on June 16, 1935. She had three older siblings, Adrian, Paul, and Teresa and two younger siblings, Lawrence, and Mary. In 1959, she married Dr. James (Jim) P. Moore, with whom she had four children, Elisabeth (Beth), Anne, William (Billiam, deceased in 2016), and Cathleen, while living in different parts of the country including Cincinnati, Ohio, Sacramento, California, and Silver Spring, Maryland. Margaret and Jim returned to Niagara Falls in 1968.
Margaret had Masters degrees in English and Library Science, and she was passionately committed to education both for her own children and for others. She was one of the first female members of the Niagara Falls Board of Education (1976 – 1981), where she served as Vice President and worked tirelessly to, among other efforts, ensure the successful implementation of the newly passed Title IX requirements. She was also a founder of the Music School of Niagara in the 1980s which was located in the old library building in downtown Niagara Falls and had the mission of providing music education to children and adults in the Niagara area regardless of their financial means.
Margaret later divorced and, in 1988, moved to Tucson, AZ where she began a new chapter of her life. She loved the Southwest and made many friends during her 33 years there, including Dorothea Nobile whom she referred to as her 4th daughter. She also met, and formally committed (2008) to her life partner, Hannah Blue Heron (deceased in 2014). Together, with Hannah as author and Margaret as editor, they published several novels, collections of essays and poetry, and a CD of music composed by Hannah. The two also encouraged other local authors and artists by hosting monthly salons.
In 2021, Margaret moved to the community of Briarwood Healthcare Center in Iowa City where she could be closer to her daughters, Anne and Cathleen. In the last month of her life, she was able to see her granddaughter Mairead’s professional performance of Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, and enjoyed an extended visit from her oldest daughter, Beth, who lives in Virginia. She was with Anne and Cathleen during her last moments with us. All in all, it was a life well lived (Ya done good, Margaret!).
Her family is planning a memorial service for Margaret in Western New York later in 2024.
