Maria de Jesus Moore

Maria de Jesus Rodriguez Moore, age 89, passed away peacefully on Memorial Day, May 26, 2025, in hospice care, surrounded by her loving family after a long illness.

Born on December 25, 1935, in Amacueca, Jalisco, Mexico, the oldest of twin girls, to the late Herculano Rodriguez and Felicitas Meza. Maria was a sweet, quiet, strong, and loyal friend to many. In the late 1950s, she met and married Kenneth Moore, a soldier in the air force, and accompanied him while he was on military tours. She had a lifetime of adventures throughout the United States and the Far East that she spoke of fondly. In 1973, she and her children settled in Pittsburgh, PA, where she lived for many years before relocating to Akron, Ohio in 2012 to spend her golden years between Akron and Pittsburgh.

Several years ago, through an online DNA service, her daughter Tamara discovered a second cousin—Ivon Jimenez, the granddaughter of her older sister, Ambrosia, whom Maria had not seen since childhood. After 2 years of correspondence with Ivon, the two families were joyfully reunited in 2024. During this visit, she shared her many memories of Mexico and family and was beautifully embraced by her many nephews and nieces. They fondly referred to her as “Tia Abuela”.

Though she became a naturalized citizen of the United States, her love for her birth country, Mexico, never waned and neither did her love for her adopted country. During recent years, she would ask, “What do they mean, ‘Make America great again’? It’s already great!“

Maria was a courageous, kind, and devoted woman who always put her family first. She had a heart for justice and sought opportunities to serve others. A gifted gardener, she never met a struggling plant she couldn't nurture back to life. During her gardening years, she fed many people with her abundant crops of tomatoes, kohlrabi, peppers, greens, and corn. She was a wonderful cook and made the best tacos, enchiladas, and soups that could rival any international chef. She loved to share stories of her childhood on the family farm and delighted in singing traditional Mexican songs, often serenading loved ones and friends with familiar tunes.

Maria is survived by her twin sister Manuela Rodriguez Meza, son, Francisco Moore (Cocoa, FL); daughters, Yolanda Moore-Forbes. (Michael) of Akron, OH, and Tamara Moore, Pittsburgh, grandchildren Michael A Forbes, Dominic J Moore, Nia I Forbes, Kendric Q Moore, Taylor A Denson (Roman), Sylvia R Adams, Jaden C Rucker, Elliana N Smith, Elijah T Nored, and great-grandchildren Roman Denson Jr, Yvonne Moore, Alina Denson, Amara Denson, and Lanaiyah Moore. She also leaves to mourn several cousins, nephews, and nieces in Mexico, California, and Arizona.

As a beloved elder, Maria modeled a life of gentle strength, unwavering devotion, and deep faith in Jesus—lived out through kindness, loyalty, laughter, and service.

¡Viva México, Viva América! Her heart embraced both lands, and her life was a testament to the beauty of belonging in two worlds.

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