Virginia Moore, Leader of KY Commission on Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Passes Away

Governor Andy Beshear’s ASL translator has passed away yesterday. Let’s see how did Virginia Moore die and her cause of death in detail.

How did Virginia Moore die?

Virginia Moore, an ASL translator for Gov. Beshear, passed away on March 6, 2023. This sad news was announced by Governor Andy Beshear on his social media account. 

The statement reads,

Kentucky, I have some heartbreaking news to share. Virginia Moore, the Kentuckian who taught us all the importance of leading with love and inclusion, passed away yesterday. 

Virginia was a rock of stability and grace during the pandemic. She helped bring us all together in our most challenging times, so I hope you’ll join Britainy and me today in praying for all who loved her. 

I will miss her greatly, but as Virginia would remind us in our grief: We will get through this; we will get through this together. 

Kentucky, I have some heartbreaking news to share. Virginia Moore, the Kentuckian who taught us all the importance of leading with love and inclusion, passed away yesterday. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/CD5lojG9ru

— Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) May 7, 2023

Who was Virginia Moore?

Virginia Moore was the American Sign Language Interpreter for Gov. Andy Beshear’s (D) daily COVID briefings. She was Executive Director of KCDHH in Ky. 

Moore, the Louisville native, took part in the ‘Team Kentucky updates’ during the COVID-19 pandemic, which many Kentuckians still recall.

Throughout the pandemic, Moore was a regular at the governor’s daily briefings, helping to translate Beshear’s statements and information into ASL.

She even became somewhat of an internet celebrity as a result of the novelty of her presence, which prompted the Kentucky Hands and Voices page to start a Facebook video series titled “Meet Virginia.”

She responded to inquiries from children in the series. Moore said that she first learned sign language in 2020 while chatting with Spectrum News 1.

“My parents are deaf, both Mom and Dad. I have a deaf sister. I have a deaf brother, and I have two other hearing sisters. So, my family taught me sign language. That was my first language,” she claimed.

Moore was a graduate of Indiana University and possessed many interpreting certificates, including the National Association of the Deaf Master Certification, Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf CI/CT Certification, and a National Interpreter Certification, according to her biography on the Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

Virginia Moore cause of death:

Moore was diagnosed with Stage 1 uterine cancer in 2020 and underwent a hysterectomy. Before returning to the governor’s daily briefings in November of that year, she revealed that physicians had completely removed the malignancy. 

During that time, Moore left the job because of her cancer treatment and came back after a break. She conducted a video call interpretation of Beshear’s news conference that evening.

“We’re gonna get through this together, and one reason I know we’re gonna get through this is we have Virginia Moore back,” said Beshear, a smiling Moore interpreting his words.

“Virginia, we missed you. We are so glad you are back, very happy to see you, even if it’s even if it’s just on the screen.”

She pushed women to get mammograms and pap smears as soon as possible after learning she had cancer. She also used her cancer diagnosis to motivate Kentuckians to follow best practices throughout the pandemic.

Moore has worked for the Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing for more than 25 years and was a nationally qualified interpreter.

She wanted to ensure that the more than 700,000 Kentuckians who required a sign language interpreter received life-saving information as quickly and accurately as everyone else in the state.

Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing has announced her passing in a Facebook tribute video. However, her cause of death was not revealed.

The official cause of death of Moore was not known yet. We will update this page, once the information become available.

In Kentucky, she was recognized in 2021 for her commitment to the state’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing people. The Kentucky Educators for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing gave the Award to its honoree.

Tributes flooded social media after her demise news broke out. Memorial Service will be later announced by her family.

Condolences to Virginia Moore:

Andrea Walker posted,

Devastating news… Virginia was such a calming and positive presence at the height of the pandemic. She will be greatly missed.

Chadwick Noel posted,

It’s is my deepest sympathy to say our interpreter KCDHH Executive director Virginia Moore passed away yesterday. My prayers goes out to the deaf community and KCDHH.

Katrisha Waldridge, Frankfort City Commissioner posted,

RIP Virginia Moore. Kentuckians will miss you dearly. Your drive for inclusivity, love and passion for ALL KENTUCKIANS DAILY was seen and heartfelt. We appreciated your authentic leadership and genuine hospitality and concern for the people of Kentucky during Covid. Your dedication to the KY people was untouched. Your Legacy will continue on and will always be a big part of who we say Kentuckians Are! #KyStrong #ASL #alwaysremembered

Auditor Mike Harmon posted,

I am saddened to learn about the death of my friend, Virginia Moore, whom I have known for many years. She was passionate about her work and its impact on those she helped. Lynn and I offer our prayers and condolences to Virginia’s family and her many friends.

Col. Pam Stevenson for KY Attorney General tweeted,

Virginia Moore was our rock during such an uncertain time. All Kentuckians were helped by her calm presence while interpreting the Governor’s daily briefings. She stood for inclusion for everyone. We are grateful for her service and we will miss her.

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