Anna Beebe Moore, Lewes icon
Anna Beebe Moore, 101, passed away peacefully with her family members by her side Monday, Nov. 8, 2021. She was born Anna Marie Beebe Jan. 22, 1920. Her parents, Dr. Richard C. Beebe and Edna Cox Beebe, lived on Savannah Road just west of what is now The Shaw Building at The Beebe Healthcare campus. They, along with her older sister Estella, shared a second-floor room in Richard’s father’s home. It was the original Beebe family farmhouse. Her first known Beebe family relative to live in Lewes was Ichabod, who owned The Cannon Ball House, prior to The Revolutionary War. Her father, Dr. Richard C. Beebe, along with her Uncle James Beebe Sr., started the Beebe Hospital in 1916.
Anna was predeceased by her sisters Estella Frazer and Violet Roth, as well as James Beebe Jr. who she saw more like a brother than a cousin. She was the last of her generation of The Beebe family.
A graduate of Lewes High School class of 1937, she then went to Moore College of Art in Philadelphia, Pa., where she received a degree in fashion design. After she graduated, she returned to marry Raymond Edward “Eddie” Moore Jr. They had four children: Ray Moore (Stefanie), Pene Gilmore (Al), Edilu Nehrbas (Pete), and Alex Moore (Tony). She has eight grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-granddaughter.
Anna was a member of the Sussex Gardeners, Beebe Hospital Auxiliary, as well as Bethel Methodist Church. She was a lifelong member of The Lewes Yacht Club which her parents belonged to, and her husband was a past commodore. She and her husband were members of The Rehoboth Beach Country Club, where her father had been past president.
One of her lifelong passions was travel. She took the Concorde from the Wilmington Airport in New Castle County to London, England, and returned on the QEII. She has traveled to Alaska, Australia, Amsterdam, the Amazon River, New Zealand, Sweden and Lewes, England.
Anna was best known for her work as a lifelong artist, working with watercolors, oil, ink sketches, and most recently, porcelain painting. One of her favorite subjects was the Cape Henlopen Lighthouse which she interpreted across her full spectrum of mediums. You would find her every summer at the Lewes Historical Society Craft Show in July as well as The Children’s Beach House Art Show during the Lewes Christmas house tour. Her Christmas plates and tree ornaments are found in many local homes. At Easter, her porcelain and bisque eggs were an annual gift for many families. She seemed to put her personal interpretation and techniques in every piece of art she created. She studied under local artists Howard Schroeder and Jack Lewis, as well as others.
The art shows not only gave her an opportunity to display her artwork, but also served as a way to meet new people who would return as friends year after year. She will be missed by her family as well as the many friends she made along the way. She was a strong person who lived without reservation, always there with a kind word and an open heart for all who would seek her out. Please remember her kindness and pass it on to everyone you meet; she will always be in our hearts.
Funeral Services will be held at Bethel United Methodist Church, 129 W 4th St., Lewes, Saturday, Nov. 20, at 10 a.m., where visitation will begin at 9 a.m. Interment will follow the services at Bethel Methodist Cemetery. For those wishing to watch a livestream of the service, please log onto https://youtu.be/b-tGDkXkdgg.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions in Mrs. Moore's memory to the Margaret H. Rollins School of Nursing Scholarship Endowment, https://www.beebehealthcare.org/donate.
Arrangements by Parsell Funeral Homes & Crematorium, Atkins-Lodge Chapel, Lewes.
Please visit Mrs. Moore's Life Memorial Webpage and sign her virtual guestbook at www.parsellfuneralhomes.com.
