Reginald E. Moore
1954 ~ 2020
Date of Death: December 20, 2020
In profound sadness, the staff of Veasley Funeral Home & Cremations, Inc. want to express our sincere condolences to the Moore family. Reginald’s earthly temple is now resting in the care of Rowell-Parish Mortuary. Revelations 21:4 says "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death; nor sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away." Be assured that in the days ahead you will surely gain strength from the memories of Mr. Reginald Elliot Moore.
Sincerely,
Derrick Veasley ~ Director
Henry Veasley ~ Director
Pastor E.C. Maltbia ~ Chaplain
Reginald Elliot Moore (November 11, 1954-December 20, 2020) on early Sunday morning, a little while before day, was called by God, “Reggie, come home”. Home had been 2003 North 9th where he was born and grew up. Because of his Mother's and Grandmother's roots in the Mallalieu/Mission United Methodist Curch, Reggie became a child of the church. Family and church were the major places where young Reginald learned to speak, act, play, and sing his way through life as a faith-filled servant of Jesus Christ.
Away from home, Reggie and his late sister, Anthonette (Toni) Moore integrated Parker Grade School. Fear, ostracism and criticism from folks who did not want them at Parker School met them as second and third graders. Yet, lessons learned at Parker School empowered his educational journey at Darby, where he said, “my musical career really started”; at Northside, where Reggie excelled in music and was elected first president of the black student organization NCBS and at Westark Community College. A music scholarship made a way for his name to appear in the Who's Who magazine of American Junior Colleges. In Conway, Arkansas where Hendrix College is located and he graduated, Reggie participated in plays, musicals, recitals, served as the first black student on the student Senate, and pastored a church part time in Newport, Arkansas.
His work history included several stints at the Sebastian County Clerk’s office, employment at downtown hotels such as the Holiday Inn in their restaurant/entertainment or club division; ditto for the Hardscrabble Country Club. Passionate about sacred music, Reggie served as a choir director for Hoover United Methodist Church in Little Rock and Mansfield UMC, Mansfield, Arkansas. Twice, he led choirs in Ft. Smith namely St. Paul UMC and his home church Mission UMC. In his spare time, Reggie could be found performing dramas and singing across the Ft. Smith Regional Area. No honorarium was needed. Call him up and you usually received a yes with a smile. Reggie just wanted to sing to God's glory and his audience’s delight. About three months from his dying day, Reggie could neither hear, nor sing.
Reggie leaves to forever cherish and remember his legacy his four sisters, Sandra Faye Waters Thompson Fuller of Victorville, California, Gwenetta Marie Harris McElroy of Vallejo, California, Vera Louise Shepherd of Fort Smith, Arkansas, and Erika Danielle Walker (Mac) of Irving, Texas; three brothers, Jeffrey Dean Matthews of Fort Smith Arkansas, Jonathan D. Keaton (Beverly) of Springfield, Illinois, and Edward Daniel Winton of Tampa, Florida. Brother Jerry Dickerson died in 1983. Sister Anthonette Moore Toni departed August 2018. At one point, Reggie called Toni, “his best friend.” Mother (Euba Mae Harris-Winton) his heart and soul, mentor and leadership example, left Reggie Monday afternoon March 11, 2019. After that, he was NEVER the same. Another sister mourns his loss namely Mrs. Cheryl Batts of Hot Springs, Arkansas. She and Reggie share the same Father, the late Mr. Fred Moore, Jr. Nieces, nephews, cousins, extended family, friends, acquaintances, employers, politicians, and judges, etc.. are too numerous to mention by name. However, the overarching sentiment among those who knew Reggie or heard about him was they liked and/or loved Reggie. And he loved them. Closer to home, sister (Erika Danielle Walker) and niece (Marie Massey) spearheaded this tribute. Marie saw firsthand, the love and affection that Reggie and Toni (her mother) had for one another. Erika so trusted her brother Reggie that she invited him to witness the birth of her second child. “Out came this miracle before my eyes”, Reggie said, a girl, Minadja Rae. Holding the newborn, Reggie said, “I've always known that God performed what we know as a miracle, but witnessing a miracle and then holding that miracle, is a precious feeling that I shall carry with me to my grave.”
On Monday, December 28, 2020, the writer talked with his former principal of St. John's Catholic School, now closed. Ninety-eight years young, Sister Pierre lives at the St. Scholastica Monastery. After Sister Pierre about Reggie's last days, she remarked “I was going to ask Reggie to sing at my funeral.” Later, my imagination and wishful thinking provided a faith filled response. Early Sunday morning December 20, a little while before day (3:45 am), God called Reggie. The heavenly choir was practicing for Christmas Morning 2020. Five days later, Reggie sang with the Heavenly Choir, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward the people of God.” Reggie is FREE NOW. “He's gone home to live with God!!!”
Visitation will be Friday, January 8, 2021 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Rowell-Parish Mortuary 611 North 9th Street Fort Smith, Arkansas 72901 | 479-782-9200.