Ava Renee Moore was born on September 14, 2006, at Fort Belvoir, a U.S. Army installation in Northern Virginia, to Robert and Tamara Moore. She became a big sister just 15 months later when her brother, Robert (“Little Rob”), was born in Alexandria.

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Ava showed determination early, keeping her family busy with her curiosity. Her love of learning grew quickly, nurtured by her mother Tamara, an avid reader, and her great‑grandmother Audrey, an educator who cared for her in her early years. Books became her passion—so much so that she often had to be reminded to stop reading late at night. This enthusiasm translated into advanced English classes and well-developed writing skills throughout her education.

 

Ava and her brother were inseparable teammates in life. From ages three and four, they attended youth church, they played tee-ball and soccer on teams coached by their father, participated in dance and gymnastics together, and spent countless hours building Legos, playing strategy games, and diving into shared hobbies. Their deepest athletic bond, though, came through basketball. Both excelled early, winning numerous youth league titles and ultimately leading their middle and high school varsity teams as freshmen, later earning opportunities to play at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

 

As the family’s first grandchildren, Ava and Rob’s weekend sporting events were highlights for relatives. Ava was a dominant basketball player from the start—so advanced that she sometimes had to sit out to keep games competitive. To challenge her growth, she focused on assisting teammates and lifting others, which became a defining trait throughout her life. She also competed in softball and soccer at select levels and learned to golf at a young age, developing a naturally powerful, fluid swing. Ava would eventually become a 4-year Varsity golfer in high school.

 

Most importantly, Ava loved the Lord and was extremely self-motivated to participate in civic minded duties directly impacting her immediate community.  By no means did she consider herself perfect, she sought to observe a standard of conduct in alignment with her faith in Jesus Christ.  Ava and her brother, Robert, both decided to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior the summer of 2013 and were baptized together on July 6, 2013 at Alfred Street Baptist Church (Alexandria, Va). 

 

Ava’s artistic abilities blossomed after the family relocated to Texas in 2017. She enjoyed drawing, especially portrait work. Her artwork earned recognition at the district level through intermediate, middle, and high school. Music was another source of joy; she often hummed or sang while drawing or unwinding at home. Influenced by her mother’s diverse playlists, Ava rediscovered her love for instruments and took guitar lessons for several years. Whether at home or later in her dorm at USAFA Prep, she could often be found playing in the evenings. 

 

She also was highly interested in the cultures and languages of the world, in particular far eastern Asian culture. Ava immersed herself in learning about Japanese and Korean customs to include, dress, music, and studied both languages. She ultimately became immersed in the Korean language and even took online tutoring classes throughout high school and into her year at Prep School. She was working heavily towards fluency and had built friendships with native speakers so that she could further immerse herself. Ava and her mom even found a love for K-Pop and were able to attend concerts together. 

 

Academics were a priority for Ava. She was an exceptional student, a member of the National Honor Society, and graduated high school with a 3.8 GPA while completing six AP courses, earning 4s on most of the exams. Recruited by Coach Stacy McIntyre, Ava pursued basketball at the Air Force Academy. Although qualified for direct entry, she chose to attend USAFA Prep as a 17‑year‑old, where she played on the first basketball team in school history to complete a undefeated season. She earned congressional nominations from Rep. Beth Van Duyne both as a high school senior and again at the Prep School.

 

At USAFA Prep, Ava became part of Charlie Squadron, forming lifelong bonds with her squadmates. Charlie Squadron earned the school’s team award that year, and Ava received her appointment to the USAFA Class of 2029.

 

After graduating from the Prep School, Ava returned home. On Memorial Day weekend, May 25, 2025, Ava went home to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, following a kayaking incident on Grapevine Lake. She was 18 years old.

 

Ava is survived by her father, Robert; her mother, Tamara; and her brother, Little Rob, who is scheduled to join the USAFA Cadet Wing as part of the Class of 2030. Her legacy lives on through the countless people she inspired, living out her faith, with kindness, resilience, grit, and the joy she brought to every part of her life.