Beloved Kentuckian and sign language interpreter Virginia Moore died Saturday. On Sunday, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear shared the dire news on Twitter, saying what an amazing person she is. “Virginia Moore, the Kentuckian who taught us the importance of leading with love and inclusion, passed away yesterday,” Beshear said in a tweet.
Beshear and Moore reached out to Kentucky at times during the height of the pandemic with daily “Team Kentucky” updates. In October 2020, Virginia Moore announced at a public briefing that she had been diagnosed with stage 1 uterine cancer.
She uses her platform to tell others not to forget to take care of themselves and their health, even during the pandemic. Later that same month, Moore announced she was cancer-free but would need to be monitored for the next five years.
“Virginia has been a rock of stability and grace during this pandemic. She has helped us all come together during our most difficult time, so I hope you join me in praying today for all of your loved ones,” Beshear explain. Moore is a board-certified interpreter and has worked with the Kentucky Council of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing for more than 25 years.
She was honored in 2021 for her dedication to the Kentucky deaf and hard of hearing community. The award is presented to the namesake by Kentucky Deaf and Hard of Hearing Educators. “I will miss her terribly, but as Virginia reminds us in her grief: We will get through this; we will get through this together,” Beshear said.