Andy Johnson Moore

Dr. Andy Johnson Moore, 88, passed away on December 10, 2020, from complications stemming from Alzheimer’s Disease and COVID-19. A gathering to celebrate his life and legacy will be held in the Spring. Andy was born in Yocona, Lafayette County, Mississippi, on May 29, 1932. As a young man, he enjoyed playing baseball and basketball, and he became a popular piano player at local church and school events. In the 1950s, he served his country in the US Army overseas during the Korean conflict. After he completed his service, Andy returned to his native Mississippi. He took the B.A. and M.A. in English literature at Mississippi College, in Clinton, Mississippi. At Mississippi College, he met the love of his life, Rachel Hunter. They were married in 1960 in McComb, Mississippi. In 1962, he accepted a position on the faculty of the English Department at Baylor University, and Andy and Rachel moved to Waco. In 1973, he was awarded the Ph.D. from University of Texas in Austin where he studied modern poetry and wrote his dissertation on the poetry of Robert Frost. Andy taught in the Baylor English Department for 41 years. A beloved professor, he was formally recognized by Baylor Student Government for “distinguished service and sincere dedication to Baylor and her students” in 1984. He was named a Distinguished Alumnus in the Department of English from his alma mater, Mississippi College, in 2000 and was recognized as the Outstanding Professor at Baylor in 1999-2000. He was named Professor Emeritus of English on his retirement in 2003. Andy will perhaps be best remembered as one of the pioneers of study abroad education at Baylor. Long before “global engagement” became one of the hallmarks of the university, hundreds of Baylor students spent their summers traveling and studying throughout Europe with Andy and Rachel Moore. Beginning with the “Moore Study Tour” in the 70s and 80s and later with “Baylor in London” and “Baylor in Great Britain,” countless students learned to love Browning in Florence, Shakespeare in Stratford-upon-Avon, and Wordsworth in the English Lake District. As soon as news of his passing was made known, students and colleagues from across three decades began sharing their memories of traveling and studying with “Dr. Moore.” He served the university and the Waco community in numerous ways. Andy and Rachel were beloved faculty sponsors of the Chi Omega sorority for over thirty years. Andy was also an active member of the First Baptist Church of Waco, where he served as a deacon and Sunday School teacher. He loved God, his church, his family, his students, and his friends deeply. Numerous colleagues have commented upon his sense of humor and his great kindness. His life was marked by that love and service to them. Andy is preceded in death by his parents, Andy and Lottie Moore; and his sister, Mary Robinson. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Rachel Hunter Moore; his son, Scott Moore and wife, Andrea, of Crawford, daughter, Melanie Briscoe and husband, Conway, of Hewitt; brother, James Moore and wife, Rebecca, of Oxford, Mississippi; grandchildren, Emily Anne Kuoni and husband, Shaun, of Nashville, Benjamin Moore and wife, Phoebe, of New York, Hannah Boles and husband, Andrew, of China Spring, Samuel Moore and Andrew Moore of Crawford, Rebekah Briscoe of Hewitt, Teddy Briscoe and wife, Amy, of St. Louis, and Katie Briscoe of Queensland, Australia; and three great-grandchildren. Memorials may be made to the English Department of Baylor University or to the First Baptist Church of Waco Foundation. The family invites you to leave a message or memory on our “Tribute Wall” at www.WHBfamily.com.