Mordena M. Moore was born in Fayettville Tennessee. The family moved to Dayton Ohio where she attended Dunbar High School. She initially started her career by working at McCall’s Magazine. Eventually she made a career change and started working for the federal government at Wright and Peterson Air Force Base in Ohio. In 1961, the family moved to California where she worked for over 33 years for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Ms. Moore was a strong advocate for the rights of the disabled and a strong supporter of college education for young adults. For close to 41 years, she was a consummate spokesperson for the vision and mission of AbilityFirst, formally known as the Crippled Children Society. She helped raise close to $350,000 for the Joan and Harry A. Mier Center building located in Inglewood for their various projects. She was also instrumental in providing accessible housing for people with disabilities so they could live independently in Inglewood.
Most of us in Southern California knew the work Ms. Moore did with Our Authors Study Club. She served as executive director of Our Author’s Study Club, Inc., the Los Angeles Branch of Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Incorporated for many years. She ensured that the community received the wealth of historical information on African American contributions and she raised over $350,000 for that cause.
Ms. Moore was a committed member of Liberty Baptist Church where Reverend Terry L. Brown is the pastor. She served as president of the Missionary Union. Her membership and affiliations also included Western Baptist State Convention’s Office of Protocol. She was also a member of the Tee Masters Golf Club for 25 plus years.
Mordena Moore leaves behind two daughters, Islah A’Dul Hefeez and Konya R Lilly. A younger sister, Connie Haley, and two grandsons, Huthafia and Musla A’Dul Hefeez, four great grandchildren and a host of friends and family members across the country.
