Christina Ulmer Moore

Christina (Chrissie) Moore Passed away peacefully at home in the presence of her family on December 28, 2020. Chrissie was a teacher, writer, reader, poet, wife, mother, grandmother, and beloved friend and colleague. She was born in Richmond, VA, on June 9, 1950 the 3rd daughter of Dr. Jack and Mary Christine (Provine) Ulmer. Valedictorian of her class at Douglas Freeman High School in Richmond, she went on to earn Cum Laude honors at the College of William and Mary, where she majored in history and had loads of fun—and made lots of memories—with her new roommate and her sorority, Pi Beta Phi. After college, Chrissie worked as a paralegal in Atlanta and Washington, D.C. She and her lifetime partner, Robert (Bob) Moore, were married on November 23, 1974. They moved into their forever home in Arlington in 1976, where they raised two children, Mary Chris and Will. Chrissie made lasting friendships through the Westover neighborhood; she enjoyed spending time with those families while swimming and gathering at Overlee Pool, canoeing the Shenandoah River, and celebrating (and dancing at) the eventual graduations, weddings, and baby showers of her children and her friends’ children. Chrissie was always game for an adventure, and she travelled with her family to sites near and far, including the Western United States, Europe, Canada, Bolivia, Peru, and all over Virginia. She was also amenable to Bob’s camping and hiking trips, which she greatly enlivened and where she enjoyed time outside. Finally, Chrissie had a love of the water, perhaps from happy memories of annual treks to Virginia Beach (and then the Outer Banks) with her family as a daughter, a mother, and then a grandmother. Never one to sit idly by, she earned her Master’s Degree in Human Resource Management at Marymount University after her children finished elementary school. She embarked on a consulting career, and, after several years and missing the joys of being around young children, she taught in the Arlington County Public Schools. As a lifelong lover of literature and poetry (and crossword puzzles), she subsequently followed her dream of writing poetry. Her love sonnet was recognized as one of 32 finalists among over 4000 entries in the Prairie Home Companion “Bed of Roses” Sonnet contest, which poem is included below. Chrissie was above all else a cherished friend and family member. She relished engaging with everyone she met and loved spending time with people. On those rare occasions when she was not invited to an event, she organized one herself; many a happy night were spent round her dining room table, sharing food and laughter. Chrissie loved to gather friends from her Richmond childhood, her William & Mary time, and her years raising a family and beyond, and those lifelong friendships were an immense source of joy and comfort to her. In quieter times, she loved to read and play with her with children and grandchildren and then to celebrate their own events and achievements. Throughout it all, she drew a lifetime’s worth of strength, happiness, and companionship from the love of her life, Bob. She leaves her husband of 46 years, Robert, her daughter Mary Christine Dobbie (Justin) and son William (Ginger), a sister Sarah Wade, and grandchildren Jack, Woody, and Hank Dobbie, and Ginny and Audrey Moore. Her eldest sister Mary Ann predeceased her. A memorial service will be conducted virtually on Tuesday, January 12 at 1 PM from St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Arlington, Virginia, and internment will follow in their beautiful garden columbarium. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. ___________________________________________________________________________ "Double Love" by Christina Moore Now that we've spent thirty years of our life, Lying together, side by side, in the night. An imperfect couple, a husband and wife. We laugh, we ignore, we rejoice, and we fight. Our children have grown up, each taken a mate. The school friends are gone, the dogs have all died. We've had to get used to each other, of late. Our imperfections can no longer hide. But along with the warts, I also can find, That wonderful boy I loved from the start. His self-contained nature, his organized mind, That kindred spirit, that generous heart. Maybe our love has stayed out of trouble Because of our mattress. It's only a double.