IN MEMORIAM – GAILDEN MOORE
Dear Friends,
We were shocked and saddened to learn of the sudden passing of our Madison organizer, Gail Moore. Gail died on June 8 after suffering a heart attack. She will be greatly missed!
Gail has been working with the Wisconsin Interfaith Voter Engagement Campaign for the last year, doing outreach and organizing with Madison-area congregations and organizations. She was deeply committed to this work, and brought passion, enthusiasm, and energy to everything she did. Her warmth, humor, and good cheer brightened up our weekly team meetings, no small feat in this difficult year.
Among her contributions to the Campaign, Gail recognized that many of our civic policies and procedures are complicated and in need of explanation. So, she started a new section for our weekly e-news, which she dubbed “Civically Minded”. In this weekly column, Gail helped us all understand the electoral process, how bills make their way through the state legislature, the state budget process, and how gerrymandering works and why it is so bad for democracy.
Gail’s passion for justice extended beyond voting rights. She was a long-time member of the Executive Committee of the Dane County branch of the NAACP and served as the chair of the Membership Committee. The mission of the NAACP was near and dear to Gail’s heart, and she worked tirelessly to further that mission. In addition to chairing Membership, Gail led an effort to address the likelihood of a food desert being created in the South Park Street neighborhood, due to the planned closing of the Pick N’Save near the Labor Temple. Gail worked with community members to bring their concerns to the mayor and Common Council and to advocate for a city plan that would maintain a full-service grocery store in the area. While those plans are still uncertain, Gail did her utmost to ensure that the community was heard.
No matter the issue, no matter the obstacles, Gail always approached each task before her with good humor, a smile, and the attitude of ‘we can get this done!” Her passing will leave a big hole in our community, and in our hearts.
Rest in peace, Gail.
Rabbi Bonnie Margulis and Dr. Peter Bakken
Co-leads
Wisconsin Interfaith Voter Engagement Campaign
