Abigail Mary Moore, cherished family
Abigail “Gail” Mary (Ralph) Moore of Rehoboth Beach passed away at home Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022, with her son Scott, sister Charlotte, and the blessed caregiver, Toni, by her side. She was born Oct. 18, 1935, in Philadelphia, Pa., daughter of the late George and Charlotte (O’Brien) Ralph. Her husband of 52 years, Luther Broadus "Buddy" Moore III, of Valdosta, Ga., and Fruitland, Md., preceded her in death in 2007.
Born in Philadelphia, Pa., Gail attended the prestigious Catholic boarding school Raven Hill Academy, where her classmates included Grace Kelly. She moved to Rehoboth during World War II when her father ran a highly successful business supplying oil to the U.S. Navy in Lewes. Gail attended local schools and was known to frequent Snyder's soda shop on Rehoboth Avenue. The big family house on Stockley Street served as a raucous summer home for large, extended elements of the family and friends for many years.
The Ralph family maintained the Stockley Street house until 1972. Gail and Buddy then built a vacation house on Hickman Street which they owned until Buddy's retirement from Westinghouse in 2004 when they built their retirement home in Pine Bay community.
She met Buddy after the Ralph family moved to Salisbury, Md., and they were married in 1955. Buddy's career as an aspiring journalist took them to Berlin, Md., where he was the editor of the Democratic Messenger newspaper, and then to Baltimore, where he worked for the Associated Press. Following his hiring by Westinghouse as a public relations executive, the family moved to Pittsburgh, Pa., and then to Paris, France, where they lived in the 8th Arrondissement for three years. Gail was particularly fond of attending fashion shows at Christian Dior with her sisters which were only two blocks from the family apartment. Above all, Gail treasured the time spent with those who meant the most to her. She was a loving and devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. Loved by many, Gail will be deeply missed by all who had the good fortune to know her.
In addition to her parents and her husband, she was preceded in death by her sister, Clara May Truitt; her brothers: Art Monigle and George L. Ralph Jr., all of Salisbury. Gail lost her lifelong friend - they had known each other since they were 8 years old, Carol Hyde, also of Rehoboth Beach, in 2020. Carol's husband and Buddy's lifelong best friend and confidant, Jack Hyde (longtime member of Rehoboth City Council), passed away in 2010. Gail is survived by her sons: Mark (Pat), Scott (Jessica Leslie), Shawn (Jan) and Christian (Kristen Powell); her grandchildren: Alex, Kate, Nigel, Liam and Olivia; her beloved sister, Charlotte (Ralph) Weiland of Rehoboth Beach; her niece and namesake, Abigail; and her nephew, Aaron.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:30 a.m., Friday, Dec. 2, at St. Edmond Catholic Church, 409 King Charles Ave., Rehoboth Beach, where friends may visit beginning at 10:30 a.m. Burial will follow the services at 1 p.m., at Epworth Methodist Cemetery, 187 Henlopen Ave., Rehoboth Beach. A good, old-fashioned Irish Wake is set for 2 p.m., at Big Fish Grill, 20298 Coastal Hwy., Rehoboth Beach.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Parsell Funeral Homes and Crematorium, Atkins-Lodge Chapel, Lewes.
Visit Gail’s Life Memorial webpage and sign her virtual guestbook at parsellfuneralhomes.com.
