C E L E B R AT I N G O U R E L I Z A B E T H J M O O R E Oct. 15, 1979 – Nov. 9, 2015
MEMORIAL SERVICE Saturday, Nov. 14, 4 p.m. New Hope Adventist Church Fulton, Maryland Welcome
Jason Decena, pastor and friend
Opening Prayer
David Newman, pastor and mentor
Special Music “Don’t Cry for Me"
Catrice Moffat, friend
Scripture Readings
Katheryn Crown, aunt (honorary) Kimberlee Tatum Lehner, friend
Elizabeth's Life Story
Michael Woods, father of Olivia, Benjamin and Joshua
Memories of My Daughter Ann Roda, pastor and friend Homily Remembrances Special Music
Kendra Halviak-Valentine, pastor and big sister
From Mandisa's Freedom
“A Broken Hallelujah” Closing Prayer
Michael Porter, pastor and friend
ELIZABETH’S LIFE STORY Oct. 15, 1979 – Nov. 9, 2015
On Oct. 15, 1979, a baby girl was born at Gifford Memorial Hospital in Nuzvid, Andhra Pradesh, India. Because her mother died in childbirth and her father was overwhelmed at the thought of caring for four children alone, he asked the hospital to keep the baby. The hospital agreed and named the little girl Betty, after one of the hospital’s physicians. Twenty-two months later, through a series of God-led events, Betty traveled to JFK International Airport in New York with a missionary couple and was met by her new mom. Little Betty, now called Elizabeth Jeanne Moore, arrived in New York on Aug. 28, 1981. She was 22 months old and weighed 19 pounds.
Elizabeth, nicknamed EJ, attended Sligo Adventist Elementary School in Takoma Park, Maryland, where she joined the choir and showed a gift for playing the recorder. She graduated from the eighth grade in 1994 and crossed the driveway to start her high school education at Takoma Adventist Academy. During the second semester of her freshman year, she transferred to Shenandoah Valley Academy (SVA) in New Market, Virginia.
After graduating from SVA in 1998, Elizabeth took a few classes at Montgomery Community College, where she asked all of her classmates to call her Liz. Her psychology class professor helped her obtain a part-time job at Community Services for Autistic Adults and Children (CSAAC). She worked with the children and soon found tremendous fulfillment in helping these challenged children make even the smallest of advances. She loved the work so much that after a year she quit school and went to work fulltime for CSAAC. In late 2001, she transferred to another organization in Washington, D.C. The job didn’t last because her eating disorder really began to take over her life, and she started going in and out of treatment and the hospital.
After several years of poor health, Liz began attending and then working at New Hope Church. She loved being involved in ministry, and for a while, all was well. But once again, the eating disorder interfered, and Liz resigned in 2008.
For most of these years, Liz lived with her mother in Burtonsville, Maryland, and helped with some of the housekeeping chores or volunteered at New Hope. On Feb. 5, 2013, Liz gave birth to a 4-lb. premature baby boy at Holy Cross Hospital. She named him Michael Samuel Raj Moore. For the first time in her life, Liz said she knew what love really was. And out of that love, she made the hardest decision a mother can make: She gave up her son because she knew that no matter how much she loved and wanted him, she was not capable of giving him what he needed and deserved. Ten weeks later, she put her son into his new family’s arms.
After the placement of her son, now named Joshua Michael, Liz continued to experience ups and downs in her health. She was hospitalized in May 2015, then again in late September. She returned to the hospital Tuesday, Nov. 2, and died Monday, Nov. 9, at 10:49 a.m.
Liz is survived by her mother, Rowena Moore, of Maryland; her grandmother, Rebecca Moore, of Arizona; her uncle Bob and aunt Lea Thompson of California; her uncle Steve and aunt Patty Thompson of Indiana; her great-uncle Robert Moore and great-aunt Winona Matheson of Washington state; and great-aunts Edith Ashlock and Rose Lay of California.
Liz is also, and most importantly, survived by her son, Joshua Michael Woods; his sister, Olivia; his brother, Benjamin; and his parents, Michael and Tara Woods.
– Rowena J. Moore
“ W E A L L J U S T G O T T A P R A Y, G E T I N V O L V E D A N D HOLD ON! …KEEP OUR ARMS INSIDE THE RIDE.…”
–ELIZABETHJMOORE
I BELIEVE I believe in God.
I believe in angels.
I believe in miracles.
I believe that prayer is the most powerful force on earth.
I believe that beauty comes from within and it is all around.
I believe your only limitation is your imagination.
I believe that everybody can make a difference.
I believe in true friends.
I believe that laughter is free medicine.
I believe in golden sunsets.
I believe that we are nature’s guests. We must treat it with respect.
I believe in kids.
I believe in chocolate fudge sundaes.
I believe in the gift of giving.
I believe there’s always hope.
I believe in love.
–ELIZABETHJMOORE 1995
A BROKEN HALLELUJAH With my love and my sadness I come before You Lord My heart's in a thousand pieces Maybe even more Yet I trust in this moment You're with me somehow And You've always been faithful So Lord even now When all that I can sing Is a broken hallelujah When my only offering Is shattered praise Still a song of adoration Will rise up from these ruins I will worship You and give You thanks Even when my only praise Is a broken hallelujah Oh Father, You have given Much more than I deserve And I have felt Your hand of blessing On me at every turn How could I doubt Your goodness Your wisdom, Your grace So Lord hear my heart In this painful place Hallelujah I lift my voice Your Spirit moves I raise my hands
–GINA BOE, RONNIE FREEMAN AND TONY WOOD SUNG BY MANDISA- ‘FREEDOM’ ALBUM
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Rowena and the Moore, Woods and Thompson families thank all the family and friends who gathered with us, or were with us in spirit, to celebrate the life of our daughter, Amma, and niece: Liz.
Rowena is especially grateful to Amanda Ludewig of Hines-Rinaldi Funeral Home for her kindness and compassion; and to Collier Rowe and Colin Jeffers for acting as drivers for Rowena so that she could run errands yesterday.
Liz would have been humbled and touched by all those who paid their respects today, and for the outpouring of love and condolences posted on Facebook.
The phone calls, emails, cards, food and beautiful flowers brought great comfort. Please accept this as a personal acknowledgement of thanks.
And to the pastoral staff and members of New Hope: You helped provide a church home for Liz, encouraged her to participate in ministry and loved her during the good times and bad. Words cannot express how much this means to her family.
Rowena wants to express her love and appreciation to Jeffrey and Katheryn Crown. Katheryn was the first friend Rowena made when she moved to Maryland in 1977, and from Elizabeth’s first full day in Maryland in 1981, Jeff and Katheryn have been her aunt and uncle. Many holidays were celebrated together, and the Crowns loved and encouraged Elizabeth all along the way. On Monday morning, Katheryn was at the hospital, along with Pastor Jason Decena, to love and pray for Elizabeth in her final hours and support Rowena after her death.
Over the last 13 years, the members of the Office of Archives, Statistics, and Research have provided daily emotional support to Rowena as she dealt with all the ups and downs of Elizabeth’s personal and health issues. Their continual love, prayers and support while Rowena juggled home and work responsibilities, as well as her own health problems, helped immeasurably.
Rowena gives thanks to Colin Jeffers, Brian Wright, Lauri Preston and Pastor Jason for their help with today’s program, as well as all those who participated today. She extends special thanks to Kendra HaloviakValentine and Catrice Moffat, who traveled long distances to participate in the service, as well as to Mary Haloviak, Uncle Bob and aunts Edith, Rose and Winona, who came from California and Washington state to support her today.
Elizabeth
And lastly, to Rowena’s new family, the Woods: Their acceptance of Elizabeth and Rowena, their willingness to open their hearts to Joshua’s birth family and their pledge of continued love and involvement in Rowena’s life ― these are the greatest gifts she could imagine, a true legacy left by Elizabeth.
Joshua
Benjamin
Olivia
Oct. 12, 2014