Eleanor Cruikshank Moore Memorial Endowed Presidential Scholarship

May 14, 2013 | EPS/EPF

The Eleanor Cruikshank Moore Memorial Endowed Presidential Scholarship was established in May 2013 to honor Eleanor’s incredible life and spirit. Her father, Robert Cruikshank, stated the following of his daughter:

“As difficult as it is for her family and many friends who loved her to carry on without her, she would want us to honor her memory by living each day to the fullest in joyous respect for the wonderful life she led.”

Early Life and Education

Eleanor was born in Houston, October 18, 1956, the daughter of Robert J. Cruikshank and Ann Irving Cruikshank. She attended Grady Elementary School, Rogers Junior High, and graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in 1975. She was an excellent student who was interested in business at a young age and even took business classes at Massey Business College during her senior year of high school. Her first job was working summers at First National Bank. Eleanor used the money she earned from the bank to fund a European vacation, sating her early wanderlust.

Thinking The University of Texas would be too big for her, Eleanor enrolled at Baylor University after high school and studied there a semester before transferring to the University of Houston for three semesters. In 1977 she entered UT Austin, the school that was ultimately a great fit.

Eleanor pursued a major in sociology, joined the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority, and was active in the Social and Behavioral Sciences Council and the Film Club. While studying at UT, she was recommended for a position working in the Texas Senate by Lt. Gov. William P. Hobby. She found this job exciting beyond all of her expectations and felt lucky to be close to so many political activities and fascinating people. Another exciting aspect of the job was that it brought her together with Christopher Moore, the university student who supervised Eleanor’s workgroup. He caught her eye, sparking an interest that would one day lead to marriage.

After The University of Texas at Austin

Eleanor took a job with the City of Houston after college, a position where she identified areas in need of lead paint abatement and helping children who lived in neighborhoods thus afflicted. Compassionate to the core, she recalled an episode in a wellness clinic where a little girl was running a high fever. According to the clinician on staff, the girl did not qualify for treatment in that clinic. Eleanor would not take “no” for an answer and hounded the doctors until the girl was treated.

While she found the city job rewarding, she left to enroll in the University of Houston’s business program. While attending classes she found the time to work part-time as an executive assistant, maintain her friendships, and pursue her burgeoning romance with Chris Moore.

The couple married in 1982 after Chris completed law school at the University of Houston. They moved to McQueeney, Texas, so Chris could practice law at his father’s practice in nearby Seguin. Their first child, Charles Nicholas Moore, was born on Feb. 20, 1984. Emily Ann “Em” Moore, the couple’s second child, was born on Jan. 29, 1986.

Eleanor returned to UT to earn her teacher certification when her children entered grade school. Ever determined, she drove 90 miles every day for nine months in order to get certified by the university.

Religious Faith

Eleanor taught in her church’s Sunday school, worked as the Christian education director, was a member of the Altar Guild, and a vacation Bible school instructor. She was a member of the Episcopal Women’s Group and a regular at the Women’s Bible Study. She was always available for any project her church called upon her to direct.

Her Christian faith was important to Eleanor, and never more so than in 1990, when her husband and his law partner, Alwin Pape, were shot by a father who had lost a custody battle to the state. The disgruntled father appeared one morning at Chris’ law office. He shot Chris and Alwin three times each. Alwin survived the attack and, thanks to the work of an adept surgeon, Chris made a full recovery. The family credits their faith in God for Chris’ and his partner’s survival.

Illness

Experiencing low energy and unexplained weight loss, Eleanor was diagnosed in November 2012 with an aggressive form of uterine cancer. She was 55 years old. Chris and Eleanor’s father, Robert, made sure she was never alone at the hospital during her treatment.

Eleanor never lost her incredible spirit during this period even though the chemotherapy diminished her health and strength. She remained upbeat, styled her hair to work around the therapy, got to know each of her nurses, and spent time making her home more comfortable as she underwent treatment.

Her family, friends, and caregivers were at the bedside of Eleanor Ann Cruikshank Moore when she passed at 7:15 p.m. on October 16, 2012, two days before her 56th birthday.

Eleanor’s family takes solace in their belief that she is now in heaven.

The Spirit of the Scholarship

Eleanor was a loving wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend. She enjoyed traveling, exercising, reading, and cooking. She loved supporting her Longhorn sports teams, and was a member and president of the Tejas Literary Club in Seguin. She had great love for animals, especially her dear pet dog, Molly.

Eleanor was fun-loving, vivacious, and always had a smile and nice word for everyone. She was an incredible conversationalist, whether she was chatting with an old friend or a complete stranger.  She was a good listener and was even able to maintain contact with friends from grade school throughout her life.

It is important to her family to keep Eleanor’s name and spirit alive through the Eleanor Cruikshank Moore Memorial Endowed Presidential Scholarship.

She would join her family in thanking the trustees of the Ray C. Fish Foundation in  Houston for making possible this scholarship in her name.

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