Remembering Deortha “Dot” Moore

It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Deortha “Dot” Moore, a Daytona Beach Junior College graduate, longtime Daytona State educator and co-founder of the Women’s Center, which later became the Falcon HOPE Center. Dot passed away on September 24.

Dot’s contributions to our College and community spanned decades. After graduating from DBJC, she earned a bachelor’s degree in history with a minor in religion and a master’s degree in history education from Stetson University. She returned to her alma mater in 1971 to join the Cultural Arts Department, teaching courses in religion, humanities, logic, student success, reading and communications. She also chaired the Faculty Senate and the Humanities Department and was a Fulbright Fellow in 1986, spending two months studying in India.

As director of the College’s Overseas Studies Program, Dot traveled to 11 European countries, China, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

In 1976, Dot and her friend and colleague Ellen O’Shaughnessy co-founded the Women’s Center to help women facing difficult circumstances become self-sufficient through education and employment opportunities. Their work established a legacy of support that continues today through the Falcon HOPE Center. Dot served on the Falcon HOPE Center Advisory Board for more than 20 years.

“Dot and Ellen made a splash decades ago, but it is the ripple effect of their work that amazes me most," said Falcon HOPE Center Director Rabecka Collins. “Those ripples can be seen in every student who graduates, every family who finds support, and every woman who discovers her strength and potential. I am grateful for their vision, leadership, and courage to create something whose impact continues to carry so many of us forward.

"Some people leave footprints,” Collins said. “Dot created pathways. Her vision and determination laid the foundation for a Center that has uplifted generations of students. The opportunities we provide today exist because she had the courage to build something that would outlive her and continue serving others. While I had only a brief opportunity to know Dot, I experience the impact of her work every day. Without her vision and leadership, the Center would not exist, and countless lives, including my own, would have been changed in very different ways. Her legacy lives on through every student served, every barrier overcome, and every success story that begins with hope."

"Dot loved flowers and in the garden of life she was a sun flower," said Victoria Ehmen, current Falcon HOPE Center Advisory Board Chair. "She stood up and she reached out to help others.  She was an inspiration who has left a lasting legacy. Education is a way to break out of poverty and Dot's contribution has continued to  enable many to achieve that goal. I was privileged to serve with her on the Board of the Falcon Hope Center and be considered her a friend."

"I had the privilege of learning from Dot's wisdom and witnessing the lasting impact of her vision," said former HOPE Center Director and current faculty member Erin LeDuc. "She was thoughtful, purposeful, and exceptionally brilliant, always focused on creating opportunities for others. Dot's legacy is not only found in the programs she helped build, but in the countless lives she inspired through her leadership. I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked in the path she helped create."

Our thoughts are with Dot’s family, friends, former students and all who were fortunate to know her.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, October 17, 2026, at Central Baptist Church, 152 Fairview Ave., Daytona Beach. Flowers are welcome, or memorial donations may be made to Central Baptist Church or the Falcon HOPE Center.