Deborah “Debbie” Anne Newsom Moore passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on April 25, 2024.
Debbie was born on March 31, 1957, in Decatur, Alabama. She attended Saint Ann Catholic School growing up, graduated from Decatur High School in 1975, and graduated from the University of Alabama in 1981. In 1984 she met her husband, Claude, through mutual friends in downtown Huntsville. They were married in 1986 at Trinity United Methodist Church and recently celebrated their 38th anniversary.
Claude and Debbie have three children, Anne (Blanton), Susan, and Luke (Mallory). They have five grandchildren, Will, Ruthie, Cooper, Leighton, and Ellis. Debbie loved family more than anything in the world. She loved her husband, was so proud of her children, and adored each grandchild. Debbie cherished her relationship with her brother Gerald, his family, and her aunt and cousins.
Debbie had a strong work ethic, was a terrific leader, and loved what she did. Debbie was a retail manager for almost forty years and had hundreds of people work for her throughout her career. She cared for each person that she worked with and took time to build relationships with them. Debbie was always kind, patient, a great listener, and careful not to act superior to anyone. She was one of the managers selected to open the Caster Knott department store when the new Madison Square Mall opened in 1984. Debbie worked as the gift store manager for the Huntsville Museum of Art and later worked as the office manager for Fuqua and Partners Architects, where she developed many wonderful friendships. Most recently, she served as the director of retail and guest services at the Cook Museum of Natural Science in Decatur. She played an integral role in opening the museum and excelled at managing and buying merchandise for The Museum Store. She was passionate about going to the museum every day because of the people she worked with and the interactions with children enjoying the exhibits and the store. It was such a treat for her to be back in her hometown doing what she loved with friends who quickly became like family. We are extremely thankful for the way everyone at the museum loved and cared for her, especially during her battle with cancer.
Debbie was a huge sports fan. She never missed any of her children’s games, and there were a lot of them! She often kept the scorebook for the baseball games Claude coached. Everyone who knew her and watched games with her knew she was very superstitious. She would leave the stands or leave a room, clean the house, or change seats, just to help her team win. She knew how silly it was, but she still believed in it. Debbie loved going to the University of Alabama sporting events, especially football games. While their children attended the University, Debbie and Claude rarely missed a game in Tuscaloosa. They also traveled with their friends all over the country to attend games. She even asked to push back a chemotherapy treatment to attend the Alabama-Texas game in Austin. The memories made going to games with friends and family will be shared forever.
Debbie worked full-time, raised three kids, and was the glue that held her family together. She looked for any reason to get together with family and friends and celebrate any occasion. Debbie enjoyed spending time with her friends playing cards, eating snacks, and laughing at shared stories. She was a great cook, an avid reader, and loved to share recipes and books with her children and grandchildren. She planned the family beach trips and more recently, mountain trips, where so many great memories were made. Her grandchildren loved their “LuLu,” and wanted to be with her as much as possible.
Debbie was diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2022. She fought hard and stayed positive throughout her treatment. We are forever grateful to her oncologist, Dr. Katragadda, or “Dr. K.” He and the nurses at Clearview Cancer Institute were wonderful and caring. We thank God for each of them for creating a positive environment during her illness.
Debbie grew up in the Catholic church and cherished her memories of going to mass with her mother and grandmother. After getting married, she joined the Methodist church. Debbie shared Christ through her actions and kind, gentle demeanor. She was selfless, humble, made everyone feel special, and always put the needs of others ahead of her own. She will be greatly missed here on earth, but we are thankful to know she is pain-free and at peace with the Lord.
Debbie is preceded in death by her mother, Carlton Anne Brown, father, Gerald Thomas Newsom, grandmother, Elizabeth Anne Brown, grandfather, Lewis Carlton “Pinky” Brown, and father-in-law, Claude Barnes Moore, Sr.
She is survived by her husband, Claude Moore Jr., and children, Anne Tatum (Blanton), Susan Moore, and Luke Moore (Mallory); her grandchildren Will Tatum, Ruthie Moore, Cooper Tatum, Leighton Tatum, and Ellis Moore; her brother, Gerald Thomas Newsom Jr. (Patti); mother-in-law, Gail Moore Tribbett (Dewey); aunt, Gene “Punny” Brown Wasmer; cousins Bethanna Macomson (Mike), CeCe Biesecker (Micheal), and Peter Wasmer Jr. (Antonia); brothers-in-law, Scott Moore and Jon Moore; her nieces, Tasha Jones (Mark), Christen Adams (Ben), Patsy Moore, Olivia Moore; and nephews Joseph Moore, Vincent Moore, Jason Sampson, and Gerald Thomas Newsom III (Tiffany).
Visitation will be from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at Trinity United Methodist Church. The memorial service will follow at 1:00 p.m. with Rev. Mac Buttram officiating.
In Debbie’s honor, and in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Cook Museum of Natural Science (https://www.cookmuseum.org/donate/honor-someone-special/) or the Russel Hill Cancer Foundation (https://russelhill.org).
