Joan Harrell Moore

She was born on October 1, 1942, in Augusta, Georgia to the late Joseph Wesley Harrell and late Mae Louise Ansley Harrell. She was married to the late Horace Eugene Moore, Jr.

She was a dedicated Christian from a young age and an active member of the church she grew up in – Lyndon Grove A.R. Presbyterian Church in Augusta. She also loved her latest church home, which was Oak Grove United Methodist Church in Decatur, GA.

She highly valued education and devoted her career to that field. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education (English) from the University of Georgia (1964) and a Master of Education (Middle Grades) (1981), Education Specialist (Middle Grades) degree (1984), and Education Specialist (Administration & Supervision) degree (1988) from Augusta College. She was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, Gamma Delta Chapter, Society for Key Women Educators.

She had a distinguished career as a teacher at Martinez Elementary School in Martinez, GA, as assistant principal at Evans Elementary in Evans, GA, and as principal of Grovetown Elementary in Grovetown, GA. She was recognized as Martinez Elementary Teacher of the Year, Georgia Tenth Congressional District Science Teacher of the Year, and State of Georgia Science Teacher of the Year. She was recognized as Columbia Country Teacher of the Year and named in the top 14 teachers in the state. Her greatest enjoyment was teaching science. She received six awards from the CSRA Science and Engineering Fair Committee for her service. She was also instrumental as assistant principal at Evans Elementary and principal at Grovetown Elementary in leading and working with her colleagues to raise test scores and supporting students in reaching their full potential.

She loved music and sang in the choir, played piano, and served as a volunteer choir director at Lyndon Grove A.R. Presbyterian Church and directed choirs in several of her retirement communities.

She was very creative. She was in the garden club, arranging flowers and making other crafts. She made every holiday special, hand-making decorations, making and wearing costumes, playing games, cooking treats, and decorating the house with and for her family. She was a master of the small touches – her gifts were thoughtfully personal, with the most beautiful hand-made ribbons.

Her fried chicken was simply the best.

She loved and cared for animals, from the many family cats and dog Fergus to racoons and birds. In retirement she enjoyed international travel and spending time with her family, including her granddaughter and great-grandkids.

Survivors include two daughters, Georgia Ann Moore of Clarkston, GA and Andrea Moore McMahan of Augusta, GA; granddaughter Amanda Dawn Portoles Jennings and husband Johnathon Jennings of Augusta, GA; two great-grandchildren, Joseph O’Neal Jennings and Charlotte May Jennings of Augusta, GA; sister Claudia Harrell White, niece Cherie White, and nephew John White, Jr. of Hartsdale, NY; uncle Ronald Harrell and wife Frances Harrell; sister-in-law Janette Moore Kelley and husband Philip Kelley, nephew Phil Kelley, and niece Kim Kelley of Winston-Salem, NC; great-niece Kester Cockrell Chou and her family of Atlanta, GA; cousin Judith Ansley Daley of Augusta, GA; other cousins and members of the Harrell and Ansley clans; and Sally Wansboro Eppstein, who found in her a “second mom.”

The family would like to thank all of the caregivers at Augusta Gardens and those who cared for her during her time in Atlanta.

Visitation will be held at Elliott Sons Funeral Home, 4255, Columbia Rd, Martinez, GA 30907 from 2 to 3 pm on Saturday, January 18, 2025, followed by a memorial service from 3 to 4 in the chapel. Rev. Dr. Beth Larocca-Pitts, Senior Pastor of the Oak Grove United Methodist Church of Decatur, GA, will officiate the service. Interment will follow in Westover Memorial Park, 2601 Wheeler Rd, Augusta, GA 30904.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation, Alzheimer’s Association, or your local food pantry or no-kill animal shelter.