Bernice Moore remembered as giant educator

Dozens of mourners gathered at the University Chapel, Mona, on Saturday to pay their respects to Bernice Rose Moore, a lifelong educator whose match-winning innings at the crease of life ended on November 13, 2022.

Moore, who was a national awardee for her contribution to education, was 87. Persons who attended her funeral spoke glowing of her impact on their lives and, by extension, the country's development.

Dr Dosseth Edwards-Watson, who was one of Moore's many students, and now principal at the Trench Town Polytechnic College, said she "left an indelible mark on everyone that she interacted with".

"We celebrate the fullness of her life and the impact that she has had on us. The legacy she leaves exemplifies the type of immortality that wisdom teaches us to strive for - to be remembered for a long time; engaging in actions of timelessness," said Edwards-Watson in her tributary remarks.

Moore , who was married for 57 years to Charles Moore before his passing in 2019, led a distinguished life that positively affected the lives of others in the field of education, where she served for 53 years.

She was a teacher at the Greenwich and Swallowfield All-Age as well as Norman Manley High schools. She also taught at the Shortwood Teachers' College in St Andrew for 22 years (between 1982-2004), serving as a senior lecturer and assistant head of the Home Economics Department. Moore was also the president of the staff association at Shortwood.

Moore was a consultant for the then HEART Trust/NTA between 1994 and 2004, and an external examiner for 19 years (1987-2006) at the University of Technology and the Caribbean Examination Council.

She was also a long-standing member of the Caribbean Association of Home Economics. In 1992, she was awarded with the Golden Torch by the Jamaica Teachers' Association; and in 2017, she was given the Badge of Honour for dedicated and meritorious service to education by the Government of Jamaica.

But perhaps her greatest life achievement was being an outstanding mother. She helped to nature her children Dwight, Christopher, Natalie, Andrea, Denise and Diane Marie into highly successful professionals today.

Shari Moore, the first of Bernice's twelve grandchildren, said "she stood for unity and was the core of the family".

"She was a woman of great class, dignity and grace. She was a woman of strong faith and devoted herself to serving her community through her work as an educator and as a member of her church, Trinity Moravian," said Shari Moore in delivering the eulogy.

Laniqueka Parkes, 26, a caregiver of the decorated educator, told THE STAR that she learnt some invaluable life lessons from Moore.

"She loved wearing her make-up, she loved new shoes and outfits. She liked to be pampered. She would say, 'If you look your best, you will feel your best, and you will treat others well.'

"She was always poised and composed," Parkes said, adding, "She was all about enjoying life."