MOORE, Susan Diane

Today's News-Herald, Lake Havasu City, AZ - Published Wednesday, September 21, 2011 - Susan Diane (Grissom) Moore was born on Oct. 19, 1959 in Charleston, Ill. to Arlene Weaver and Thomas Grissom. She passed away peacefully at home in Lake Havasu City on Sept. 19, 2011 while being held by her children and husband. She was just 51 years old. Susan was a member of the United States Navy and served on the USS Jason AR-8. She was one of 40,000 women deployed in 1990-1991 during Desert Storm/Shield. As a single parent, she left behind her children, whose courage and strength will never be forgotten. She was one of less than 200 women serving in US Navy and visiting Pakistan in an official capacity. After 30 years and attending nine colleges, in 2006 she received her first Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Science Studies from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. We know that she died from stage IV lung cancer. She was not defeated by it. It ran its course and our country does not choose to fund research against it. Hopefully that will change soon. Also, she had God with her all the way— so there was no battle involved. Ending childhood illiteracy was her passion. She had been fortunate enough to teach her own children to read. She was also was able to work with AmeriCorps on the Colville Indian Reservation in Washington State at an elementary school to help the school improve its reading scores. While living in Page. she worked with a third grader to increase her reading ability by one full grade. While living in Lake Havasu City, she volunteered to help adults read through the Lake Havasu City Literacy Council. She ran her first full marathon in 2004 when she was 45 years old. She was able to stay sober for 21 plus years with the aid of God and Alcoholics Anonymous. She loved her family and enjoyed visiting her children. In the past two years she had taken up making and sending cards to those who meant so much to her. Those cards will be cherished by all who received them. She was preceded in death by her grandparents, her brother-in-law Michael Moore, and an infant grandson, Isaac Christopher. She is survived by her husband Matt Moore of Lake Havasu City; her father, Thomas Grissom of Casey, Ill.; her mother Arlene Weaver of Terre Haute, Ind.; her brother Thomas Lee (Anita) Grissom; her daughter Diann (Darrel) Barker of Flagstaff, Ariz.; her son Garry (Teresa) Berryhill, Jr of Tulsa, Okla., and her niece and four nephews. She is also survived by many Aunts, Uncles, cousins, friends and her three cats. Friends and family attended her memorial service that was held in Lake Havasu City at Lietz-Fraze Funeral Home on September 21, 2011. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations of books or money for books be sent to the Lake Havasu City Literacy Council and Hospice of Havasu.