Margaret Moore

Margaret Elizabeth Bear Moore, 90, of Athens died May 1, 2015. She was born in Zhenjiang, China on March 14, 1925. Her parents, Margaret Irvine (White) and James Edwin Bear, Jr. were missionaries to China. She is survived by her children, Margaret Elizabeth Moore Kopinski of Hartford, AK and Robert Rayburn Moore of Fort Lauderdale. FL, her sisters, Eleanor Wallace and Jean Bear of Richmond, VA, her nieces Margaret Bear Boswell of Atlanta, GA, Mary Bear Shannon of Havertown, PA, her nephew James Edwin Bear, IV of Durham, NC, and her aunt Elizabeth White Willard of Wilmington, NC. Her parents, her husband, Dr. Rayburn S. Moore and her brother, James Edwin Bear, III, preceded her in death.

Margaret grew up in Richmond, VA graduating from Thomas Jefferson High School. She received a BA degree from Agnes Scott College in 1946 and an MA degree in English from the University of Georgia in 1973. She met her husband at Duke University and they were married for 58 years.

Her many jobs included Editor of Book Reviews for the East Arkansas Record, Bibliographer in the Perkins Library at Duke University, English teacher at Hendrix College and the University of Central Arkansas, Latin teacher at Athens University and Editor for the Institute of Community and Area Development at the University of Georgia.

In 1976 she became an independent scholar concentrating on Nathaniel Hawthorne and his works. She wrote numerous articles on Hawthorne and gave many talks to scholarly organizations. Her research resulted in the publication of The Salem World of Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1998. She was also a Content Evaluator for a three year National Endowment for the Humanities website, “Nathaniel Hawthorne and Salem” which was centered in Massachusetts.

For many years she was active in First Presbyterian Church of Athens serving as Elder, Deacon, Sunday School teacher and Circle Bible Leader.

Her many honors include Phi Beta Kappa and Mortar Board from Agnes Scott, Phi Kappa Phi at the University of Georgia and inclusion in Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in the South and Southwest, Who’s Who of American Women, and Who’s Who in Education. She actively participated in the South Atlantic Modern Language Association, the Society for the Study of Southern Literature, the Philological Association of the Carolinas, and the Nathaniel Hawthorne Society.

The family would like to thank Morningside Assisted Living and her caregivers, Cindy, Clara, Eva Mae, Cheryl, Annie, Christine and Latoria for their devoted attention to her for the last few years.

A memorial service will be held at Bernstein Memorial Chapel on Wednesday, May 6, 2015 at 1PM. Memorial gifts may be given to the First Presbyterian Church of Athens, 185 East Hancock Avenue, 30601 or Agnes Scott College, 141 E. College Avenue, Decatur, GA 30030.

Online condolences may be offered at www.bernsteinfuneralhome.com

Bernstein Funeral Home and Cremation Service is in charge of arrangements.