Catherine Ann Graham Moore, 51

Catherine Ann Graham Moore, 51, of McCall passed away Monday, July 20, 2009, after a short, courageous battle with cancer.

Services conducted by Father Len were held Friday at the Lady of the Lake Catholic Church in McCall. A potluck followed at the home of friends Neal and Pam Davis.

Cathy was born Sept. 26, 1957, in Moscow, the oldest child of Margaret and Robert Graham.

Cathy’s father worked for the U.S. Forest Service, and she attended elementary schools in Orofino and Riggins and Hamilton, Mont. The family moved to Bonners Ferry, where Cathy graduated from high school in 1976.

Cathy graduated from University of Idaho in 1980 with a bachelor’s in secondary education. She also completed course work for a master’s degree from Idaho State University.

Cathy’s taught in Libby, Mont., for one year and in Kenai, Alaska, for another year. She then moved to Pocatello, where she taught math and computers at Alameda Junior High for several years.

During the summers, Cathy worked for the U.S. Forest Service in fire prevention as a lookout.

In the summer of 1985, she met her husband, Mick Moore, in McCall. This was the beginning of Cathy’s lifelong love of McCall.

Mick and Cathy married in Pocatello on Jan. 30, 1990, with their dog Leah as the witness. They commuted back and forth between Pocatello and McCall for several years until 1996 when Cathy began teaching math in Cascade.

In the fall of 2008, Cathy began teaching math at McCall-Donnelly High School, where she was employed at the time of her death.

While in Cascade, Cathy was nominated for the Idaho Math Teacher of the Year award and went on to become a national finalist.

She served on the board of the Idaho Council of Teachers of Mathematics, where she was active on the state level in mathematics education. She also worked for the Idaho State Department of Education with the Idaho Math Academy where she taught math teachers throughout the state.

Cathy was a wonderful daughter, sister, wife and friend. She loved animals and truly treated her pets as family.

She was passionate about teaching and her students. In spite in her illness, she maintained a positive upbeat attitude and was always more concerned about others than herself.

Her family and friends will continue to remember her light hearted infectious laugh, the twinkle in her eye and the joy she brought to others.

Cathy had many hobbies, and she enjoyed McCall, the place she called home. She loved animals, flowers, gardening, birds, hiking, tennis, reading and Nordic skiing.

This spring she was able to realize her lifelong dream when she traveled to Hawaii with one of her closest friends.

Cathy was a devoted member of the Catholic Church.

Cathy is survived by her husband, Mick, in McCall; dogs Sadie and Zeus; Orange Cat; her parents, Robert and Margaret Graham of Bonners Ferry; brothers Lou Graham of Sandpoint and John Graham (Robyn) of Doylestown, Penna.; sisters Patricia Graham of Coeur d’ Alene and Carrie (Glynn) Ellis of Litchfield Park, Ariz.; eight nieces and nephews; and numerous close friends.

She was preceded in death by her grandparents and a brother, William Graham.

The family requests no flowers, but suggests memorials may be made to MCPAWS Regional Animal Shelter, P.O. Box 1375, McCall, Idaho, 83638.