Life Story

“And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”  Psalm 23:6b

Isaac Moore, M.D. was a very special gift that David Moore, Sr. and Ruth Jones Moore presented to their family on December 25, 1941, the date of his birth. They knew at that time that one day he would make his community a better place because of the impact he would make. He grew up with his siblings in Madison, a small rural town in the Big Bend area of North Florida. However, he was a resident of Tallahassee, Florida, since 1980.

Preceding Dr. Moore in death were both of his parents; brothers: David Moore, Jr., Lugene Moore, Johnny Moore, Willie Moore, Rufus Moore, and Clay Moore; and sisters: Gloria Lee Moore Franklin, Mittie Ruth Moore Smith, and Cora B. Moore Womack.

Dr. Moore and other young people in the community were greatly influenced by their village of encouragers and supporters (parents and other relatives, teachers, church members, and neighbors) who demonstrated love (often tough love) and concern for the young people’s well-being. These adults also inspired them to think about their future, choose careers and to use their potential to aspire for greatness. School lessons were taught from secondhand, outdated books and teachers had limited resources. However, these teachers, together with the rest of the village, were the change agents, the motivating factors that inspired the students to seek opportunities and careers that were otherwise unheard of by people of color.

Dr. Moore realized that for him to reach his full potential, he had to excel in school. A graduate of Madison County Training School, Dr. Moore began preparation for his extensive professional career in Tallahassee, Florida, at the Florida A&M University (FAMU) where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree, pledged Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. (1960 Beta Nu Initiate), and joined the U.S. Army Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC), ultimately achieving the rank of Captain. This prepared him for active duty in the Vietnam War in which he honorably served his country (1962-1967) with two tours of duty in the war zone. 

Because he was determined to succeed in the pursuit of his medical career, Dr. Moore worked with vigor, diligence, and integrity to attain educational experiences from some of the best medical institutions in the United States. After graduating from the Johns Hopkins Medical School of Medicine, he was employed for a year as a medical doctor at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. He subsequently completed his internship in Internal Medicine at University of Florida Medical Center – Shands Teaching Hospital, as well as his residency in Ophthalmology at the University of Florida Medical Center, in Gainesville, FL, and he was awarded a fellowship for corneal diseases at Louisiana State University in New Orleans, LA.

Pursuant to his extensive medical training and dedication to his ophthalmological profession, Dr. Moore stepped out on faith and in 1980 established his ophthalmic practice in Tallahassee, Florida, where he eventually founded the Five-Star Alpha Eye Clinic in 1986. He began each day with boldness and enthusiastic faith knowing that he would make a difference in somebody’s life. He and his medical team provided services ranging from basic eye exams to utilizing the latest techniques for performing complex surgeries involving corneal transplants. Dr. Moore was determined to do as much as he could, for all that he could, and in any way that he could. Therefore, he also gave back to the community by providing medical assistance to inmates in jails and prisons, supporting and encouraging younger generations interested in the sciences and/or becoming physicians, assisting young family members who came to Tallahassee, and/or attended college elsewhere, and sharing his wisdom and experiences with many others.

After nearly 36 years of restoring sight to a plethora of grateful patients, the legendary Dr. Moore retired from his distinguished ophthalmological career. However, he did maintain his position as board member of Capital HealthPlan and chair of the Health Delivery Committee subcommittee since 1986.

Death is the last chapter in time, but the first chapter in eternity. On Wednesday, September 6, 2023, Dr. Isaac Moore completed the last chapter in his walk of life, crossed from it to his everlasting home, and began his new unending chapter in eternity.  

Those who mourn the loss of this loving, charitable, caring, and remarkable loved one are Dr. Isaac Moore’s loving and devoted wife of 51 years: Amanda Hill Moore of Tallahassee, FL; sons: Johnny Moore of Tampa, FL, Justin Moore and Jason Moore, both of Charlotte, NC; daughter: Kathryn Gianine Moore of Rogers, AR; brothers: Alex Moore and Spencer Moore, both of New Orleans, LA, and Jesse Moore of Gainesville, FL; sisters: Mercedes Moore Fennell of Orlando, FL, Juanita Moore Legree of Tallahassee, FL, and Pamela Moore of Madison, FL; mother-in-law: Willie Lee Hill; brothers-in-law: Ronald Smith and Wallace Hill; sisters-in-law: Bernice Moore, Juanita Moore, Sarah Willis, and Mable Katherine Bullard; adopted sister: Johnnie Mae Burgess; adopted brother: Jeffrey Thomas; along with many other loving relatives, countless other sorrowing former coworkers, patients and friends.