Mary Theresa Moore 1948 - 2025

Mary Theresa Moore, who pieced together a life of resilience and beauty with a spirited wit and an artist’s soul, completed her earthly tapestry on November 17, 2025. She leaves behind a legacy as vibrant and enduring as the quilts she so lovingly crafted.

Mary’s story began in Seattle, during a season that called for a quiet kind of courage. As the second oldest in what would eventually be a family of 11 children, she stepped into the role of daily caregiver when she was only eight years old. It wasn’t a path she chose, but she sensed that her siblings needed a steady presence and a consistent light of hope while the family struggled to find their way through deep generational pain. Rather than letting those early years define her with a sense of fear and scarcity, Mary spent the rest of her life crafting a different kind of legacy. She chose a path of generative healing and spent decades quietly returning those gifts to others, even into her final days.

Mary built a strong foundation of independence for her own future while working as an executive assistant in the insurance industry in downtown Seattle, and it was there that her life took a serendipitous turn in November of 1969, when she met Dale. After a whirlwind nine-month courtship, they married in June of 1970, in Edmonds, Washington, a union that would span 55 years.

A few years later, they welcomed their son, Christopher, and after moving to McMinnville, Oregon, welcomed their daughter, Stephanie. Mary poured her energy into motherhood, sparking a creative vocation in textile arts, crafts, and quilt making that would become one of her life's greatest joys. Her hands were rarely idle; they were always stitching love and whimsy into warmth we could hold.

Mary’s care extended throughout McMinnville for more than 25 years. She was deeply woven into the fabric of the community, particularly St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, where she served as parish secretary, Sunday school teacher, and finance committee chair. But her offerings went far beyond these roles. Perhaps nowhere was her heart more visible than in the Soup Kitchen at St. Barnabas, where she served as a founding member, server, Executive Director, and longtime contributor.

For Mary, the soup kitchen was a sacred extension of her own dinner table, a place where those who were hungry were fed with dignity, and those experiencing loneliness found fellowship. While she poured her considerable skills into the operational components of this shared work, her spirit truly sang when she was fully present with guests and their stories. In those moments, serving meals to members of the community struggling with scarcity, Mary dissolved the lines between giver and receiver, ensuring everyone felt the embrace of belonging.

She also possessed a unique ability to create sanctuary. Whether she was running data processing at McMinnville High School – and keeping an eye on her own kids – or supporting students with exceptional needs at Memorial Elementary, she was a safe and welcoming place for students and staff alike. This gift for creating sanctuary wasn't just a professional skill; it was a personal calling that reached into the heart of the community. Mary was a charter member of the Henderson House Guild, providing support for survivors of domestic violence, a cause deeply connected to her own desire to see families find health and healing. She supported the Waverly Children’s Home, was a founding member of the McMinnville Service League, and was a champion for the advancement of women through the Philanthropic Education Organization (P.E.O.).

Mary’s heart for healing led to her membership in the International Order of St. Luke and also “Thou Shalt Quilters,” a small group that spent as much time nurturing the fabric of shared community as they did raising funds for the Soup Kitchen. Whether she was leading a Girl Scout troop or walking as a breast cancer survivor for Relay for Life, her life wasn't a series of separate tasks. It was more like an unbroken thread of creativity and giving that ran through everything she touched.

Following her husband’s retirement in 2002, they moved to the central Oregon Coast. Never one to rest for long, Mary opened a home décor and gift shop near Siletz Bay. She also deepened her long-time P.E.O. connections, continuing to elevate education opportunities for women while strengthening her beloved sisterhood that started in McMinnville and continued in Lincoln City.

Mary knew that to pour into others, we must also create intentional ways to be restored. Her spirituality was not confined to church walls; it was vast and elemental. During a transformative trip to Hawaii with one of her closest friends, Mary found a rare and liberating stillness. Swimming among dolphins, she shed the ballast of her earthly responsibilities, trading the noise of the world for the essential peace of a soul finally, floorlessly, free. This same inner light found its resonant reflection in a sacred connection with her granddaughter, Nora. Sharing a similar temperament of silliness, sassiness, and exceptional style, Nora was truly one of Mary’s brightest sparks.

Her spirit reached toward the infinite, but the true sanctuary of her heart was always her home. If her public service reflected her quilts’ visible patterns, her family was the quiet, sturdy binding that held the whole thing together. This devotion to beauty was as evident in the artful comfort of her living spaces as it was in the flower-filled gardens she so carefully tended. Dale often said that any success he had was quite simply “because of Mary’s love and support.” That same warmth enveloped her children who delighted in her playful spirit, dramatic storytelling, and peaceful presence. Whether she was hosting five people or fifty, it didn’t matter, Mary’s hospitality was anchored in love. All were welcome, especially those who just needed a safe place to be seen, valued, and celebrated.
Mary made her life a graceful offering, piecing short stories of creativity, humor, and healing into the fabric of the world around her. She inscribed love on the hearts of those in need, helping others find gentle, affirming, wonderfully imperfect paths to wholeness and light while resting in the shelter of each other.

She is survived by her husband, Dale, her children, Stephanie and Chris; her grandaughter, Nora: her son-in-law Pat, daughter-in-law Kellie, several dear friends, seven siblings, and small communities that are wamer, safter, and more beautiful because Mary was here to stitch us together.

A memorial service and reception are scheduled Saturday, May 2nd at 1:00pm at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, 822 SW 2nd St. McMinnville, Oregon.

In honor of Mary's lifelong dedication to helping others, small memorial contributions may be made online to the St. Barnabas Soup Kitchen: https://stbmac.org/soupkitchen/