HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 19

By Mr. Speaker, Mr. Armstead

and

All Members of the House of Delegates

[Introduced on March 13, 2015]

“Extolling the life and lamenting the death of Mrs. Shelley Riley Moore, former First Lady of West Virginia and beloved wife, best friend and life partner of Governor Arch A. Moore, Jr.”

    Whereas, Shelley Riley was born on July 15, 1926, in Miami, Florida, the youngest of three children born to Jacob Lewis and Sadie Riley. Shelley spent her formative years in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, where she graduated high school. In 1944, Shelley followed her siblings to West Virginia University, where she joined Alpha Xi Delta sorority and became President of the Women’s Recreation Association.

    Whereas, While on a double date in 1946, Shelley met Arch A. Moore, Jr., a young man from Moundsville back from World War II. Following her graduation from West Virginia University with a B.A. in Education, Shelley Riley married Arch Moore on August 11, 1949. They spent several years in Morgantown where Shelley taught math in the public schools. Her husband soon entered public life securing a seat in the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1952. For the next sixty years, Shelley stood as a teammate and source of constancy for all 26 of her husband’s political campaigns and all of her daughter’s races; and

    Whereas, As the longest serving First Lady in West Virginia’s history, Shelley took on several important causes during her tenure. Most notably, she established the West Virginia Mansion Preservation Foundation to maintain the mansion and its heritage for the people of West Virginia. She conducted countless tours and insisted on open access to the Governor’s residence. She also embraced educational initiatives and programs for children. Shelley was intimately involved with various Girl Scout programs in West Virginia, serving as a member of the Black Diamond Girl Scout Council Board of Directors. She was dedicated to improving educational opportunities for disabled children and was a driving force with Arch for the numerous initiatives to establish and improve mental health programs around the Mountain State. She served as Chairwoman of the Mental Health Association, National Library Week, honorary chairwoman of the Heart Association, and in many other positions; and

    Whereas, Shelley Moore was the proud mother of one son, Kim, and two daughters, Shelley and Lucy, all of whom survive her. She is also survived by seven grandchildren; and

    Whereas, The compassion and grace with which Shelley Moore served as First Lady will be her public legacy, but to her family and friends her legacy will be her warmth, her sense of humor and her unwavering loyalty. Shelley had an ability to listen and connect, traits that made everyone around her know that they mattered. Shelley Moore was an amazing woman who represented the people of West Virginia with grace and dignity as First Lady; and

    Whereas, West Virginia was saddened to learn of the death of West Virginia’s former First Lady, Shelley Riley Moore, on September 13, 2014; therefore, be it

    Resolved by the House of Delegates:

    That the members of the House of Delegates hereby publicly extol the life of Mrs. Shelley Riley Moore, and collectively mourn her death, while remembering that she leaves behind a legacy of success, love and accomplishment; that this House of Delegates proclaims that although Mrs. Shelley Moore has passed from this earthly life, she will continue to live in the hearts and minds of those who knew her; and, be it

    Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a certified copy of this resolution for her children; and, be it

    Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates also cause a certified copy of this resolution to be placed in the Division of Archives and History.