Unity Park organizers say the civil rights park could one day honor Ava Moore, a long-time community activist and park supporter who died Nov. 20.
Moore, 65, was a chief proponent of redesigning, dedicating and formally opening the park as a way to honor local residents impact in the community.
The park, a public green space located between Mugshots and the Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Department, contains plaques that have been covered from public view since the about $2 million county education building project concluded in 2011.
Moore, along with other organizers, proposed transforming Unity Park’s design to create a public gathering place that would serve as the centerpiece for future community events. She was one of the first residents to meet about its future before the committee was formed by county supervisors.
“I’m still in a state of shock,” said Unity Park Committee member Brother Rogers of Moore’s death. “She was such a hands-on person and a big influence for this community. She always wanted the best for others and for Oktibbeha County.”
Park committee members previously said they would like to honor local residents, including the late Dorothy Bishop, with smaller plaques.
Moore was also a major part of numerous civic groups, including the Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum, Starkville Area Arts Council and Oktibbeha County Democratic Party.
Within the Democratic Party, she spearheaded organizing efforts for the group’s annual Beans and Greens fundraiser and political forum. She also led the Heritage Museum’s Friends of the Museum Board of Directors and, with the SAAC, served as the group’s liaison to the museum and on its race relations team.
Democratic Party Chairman and local NAACP chapter President Chris Taylor described Moore’s loss as a huge blow to the community.
“She did so much for so many people here in Oktibbeha County. It was a pleasure knowing and working with her, and she will be missed,” said Bill Poe, a Heritage Museum supporter who serves on the city’s museum subcommittee.
Moore founded Ava’s Monogramming in 1986 and was also involved in Starkville School District’s parent-teacher association, the Federation of Democratic Women and the Moreland Community Association of Shaker Heights, Ohio.
She was born in 1949 in Cleveland, Ohio, studied at Cuyahoga Community College and married Lawrence Moore in 1965.
Visitation is set for 4-6 p.m. today at West Memorial Funeral Home, while services are scheduled at 11 a.m. Friday at Peter’s Rock Church of God in Christ with Rev. Joseph Hawkings officiating.
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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