Abbie Veronical Moore

The Life and Legacy of Abbie V. Moore

Abbie Veronica Antonia Moore was born October 7, 1939 in Arlington County Virginia to the late Marion V. Brown Moore, and George Beatrice Clarke.

Raised between DC and Orange County Va, Abbie had a wonderful childhood. She played with her cousins, made friends, and helped tend to various animals on her Aunt and Uncle’s farm.

As a young teen, tragedy befell Abbie when she was involved in an accident that left her paralyzed from the neck down. Many believed that she would not make it, but Abbie had a strong sense of faith and through many trials and tribulations, she regained the use of her arms and upper-body. It was through this miracle, Abbie’s life began to take off.

While recovering in the hospital, Abbie completed high school and graduated valedictorian of her class. She took classes in business and had hopes of attending college one day. Upon hearing her story in the Washington Post, Abbie was contacted by the Office of Veterans Affairs and was offered a job as a clerk-stenographer-receptionist in the Foreign Service and Benefits Office. This was literally groundbreaking, as the architects and engineers to the VA central office had to build her a ramp so she could get into the building, as well as a special desk to accommodate her wheelchair.

Abbie EXCELLED at her job, taking on various roles and positions inside the Veterans Administration. Her bosses and colleagues loved her, and many of her clients, various government officials and veterans of the armed forces from all ranks, wrote letters of accommodation and praise for her services. But Abbie was not “all work and no play.”

During her travels throughout DC, Abbie met the late Louis Brown Sr., an ambulance driver for DC General Hospital, and later a Capital Cab taxi driver. It was love at first sight and they had a child, the late Brian George Louis Brown Sr. She was a loving and devoted mother, who instilled in him many life lessons, including the love and kindness towards others, no matter their background or abilities. She also made sure to instill in him her love and faith in God. Brian would go on to pass these lessons to his own children with Felicia Annette Johnson.

Abbie loved hosting various family functions and dinner parties with friends. Always the consummate host, she made sure that the people who came through her doorstep were given the royal treatment. Her favorite times to host were during Christmas, her favorite holiday, where she would have the house decorated from top to bottom with lights,

stockings, and other holiday accoutrements. But the real star of her holiday gatherings: the baked goods! Abbie’s fruitcakes, pound cakes, and pies had people traveling from other states to get a slice.

Abbie worked tirelessly for the betterment of people with disabilities. While in the VA, she spearheaded a campaign called “Open Doors” to improve the quality of life for quadriplegics and paraplegics alike. She worked to make sure that they had the access to information and resources available to find jobs and homes, and to know that they were just as capable as anybody else. She would later go on to work with various other organizations like the ENDependence Center of Northern Virginia, and served two terms on the City of Alexandria’s board of Commission for People with Disabilities.

After 85 years of love and devotion, Abbie finally gained her wings on February 7, 2025. Meeting her at the pearly gates are the loves of her life: Louis Brown Sr.; Brian George Louis Brown Sr.; and her youngest granddaughter, Alicia (Joseph) Jones. Also meeting her at the gates are her older brother and sister, Harold Francis Moore, and Agnes Catherine Moore. Left to carry on her legacy are beloved grandchildren Brian George Louis Brown II, Louis Brown III, and Alexis Antoinette (O’Delle) Williams; her darling great grandchild Nasir Jair Jones; her former daughter-in-law Felicia Annette Johnson; and her loving niece Kerry Veronica (Douglas) McWilliams; as well as a host of family, friends, and loved ones.