Obituary of Esther Moody

The Life of Esther Mae Moody

Esther went home to be with the Lord on January 1, 2023, at the age of 80.  She was born in Jackson, North Carolina on September 9, 1942, to the late Percy L Moody, Sr. and the late Ella Frances (Manley) Moody.  There she grew up as one of ten children.  

Esther was educated in the NC school system.  Then, at the age of 17, she moved to Paterson, New Jersey.  Upon arrival she found employment as an assembly line worker at the Faberge factory.  There she would remain for 11 years.  In 1979, Esther decided to create a different future for herself.  At the age of 36, she graduated from the Paterson Adult Learning Center with her High School Equivalency.  She then continued further with her education, receiving a vocational certification in bookkeeping from the Passaic County Technical & Vocational Multi-Skills Center in Wayne, NJ.  With this new certification, she worked first as an office clerk for Paterson City Welfare (1980), then as a receptionist-secretary for the E. Lee White Funeral Home (1981 – 1985), and lastly as a senior clerk transcriber at the North Jersey Developmental Center (1985).  She found much fulfillment in this position and remained in the role until her retirement in 2012.

Esther enjoyed reading her bible daily.  She loved relaxing with a word search puzzle and took her role as the unofficial neighbourhood watch seriously.  She liked playing cards and watching Dancing with the Stars and Jeopardy, but most of all, she enjoyed spending time with her family.

Esther was predeceased by her parents, Percy L. Moody and Ella Frances (Manley) Moody; her son, Warren Moody; two brothers, Percy L. Moody, Jr. and Wardell M. Moody; twosisters, Bessie Moody and Carolyn Ann Moody; an uncle, Herman Manley; and an aunt, Ethyl Broadnax.

She leaves to cherish precious memories her daughter JudithCherry (Jeffery) of Greensboro, NC; granddaughters, Whitney Cherry Johnson (James) of Charlotte, NC and Megan Cherry of Inglewood, CA; brothers William Moody of Yonkers, NY and Cornell Moody of Tustin, CA; sisters Julia Moody of Wayne, NJand Margaret Reed (James) of Paterson, NJ; special nephew and nieces, Carl Moody (Georgia) of Lodi, NJ, Rev. Felechia Wise of Paterson, NJ, Gwendolyn M. Williams (George) of Paterson, NJ, and Kim Lamar (Derrick) of Persippany, NJ; close friendsMamie Salmon and Marilyn Davis; two great-grandchildren and numerous other loving family members and dear friends.