Obituary for Dr. Sheila Moore (Lytle)
This is not your typical obituary: In fact, if a book were to be written about Dr. Sheila Lytle Moore, there is no
doubt that it would be a bestseller. In her early years, Sheila read every book in the local Clinton, Louisiana
library and knew by 6th grade that she either wanted to be a physician or a missionary; she figured that with
a medical degree, she could do both. Sheila graduated from Louisiana State University in 1960 with a
double-major in Chemistry and Zoology in an era when the few women who were able to pursue higher
education typically studied education and nursing. At the end of her medical school interview, an admissions
officer asked her if she realized that she was taking the spot of a well-deserving man who would actually
practice, and her life and legacy provided the perfect rebuttal. She graduated as one of seven females in a
medical school class of 110.
Sheila began work at Earl K. Long Medical Center and then became an Associate Professor of Medicine at
LSU Charity Hospital. She fell in love with the “zebras” of medicine- pediatric illnesses that were difficult to
diagnose and treat- and the discipline of hematology/ oncology provided the perfect challenges for her to
flourish. She quickly recognized deficits in care for pediatric sickle cell patients and galvanized a clinic to
improve continuity of care; when the AIDS epidemic began, she established a clinic to treat HIV-positive
children as well.
At the time she initiated the clinic at Our Lady of the Lake, Sheila was the only pediatric oncologist in Baton
Rouge and was on call practically 24/7 for over 25 years. She was so devoted to her patients and families
that she would provide them with her personal number from the onset of treatment. During that time, she
would frequently refer patients to St. Jude's and would work personally with local charities to help families
get to Memphis who could not afford it. St. Jude's partnered with Dr. Moore and Our Lady of the Lake to
establish the St. Jude’s Hospital Affiliate Clinic which opened its doors in 1998- one of only eight affiliate
clinics in the country. In its early days, the clinic hosted a bare bones staff and a chemo hood for staff to mix
their own doses of chemotherapy. Dr. Moore served as medical director for 20 years and grew the clinic
exponentially. When she began her career, the survival rate for pediatric cancers was just under 3%... the
survival rate was over 90% at the time of her retirement. She was still working four days a week in her early
80s until she finally retired (kicking and screaming) at the age of 83. She died on Sunday, March 26, 2023 at
the very hospital where she dedicated 40 years of her life, and her hospital room was bursting at the seams
with both her biological family and her medical family.
While being a physician was the greatest adventure and passion of Sheila's life, there was so much more to
who she was.The people that loved her most will remember her for her immense generosity, quick wit (and
sometimes biting remarks), and astounding intelligence. She was a loving mother who single-handedly
raised two successful men and a proud, supportive grandmother. She was the loudest voice belting hymns
in the pews of St. Patrick's Episcopal Church on Sundays and a lover of Scifi, the Appalachian mountains,
estate sales, sauvignon blanc, animals, gemstones, anything Irish, and gardening. Sheila appreciated all
forms of art and frequented Baton Rouge Little Theater, Baton Rouge Ballet, and Baton Rouge Symphony
Orchestra; she was even known to write poetry to help her process grieving her patients. I can only imagine
the reunion that was held in heaven when all of her patients met her at the gates.
There will be a visitation of Friday, March 31, 2023 at Charlet Funeral Home, Inc. in Zachary from 5:00
PM until 8:00 PM and then on Saturday, April 1, 2023, at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church from 9:00 AM
until service at 11:00 AM conducted by Fr. Dan Krutz. Burial will be at Masonic Cemetery in Clinton, LA.
She is survived by two sons: Richard “Chip” Moore III and wife Sheryl DeMetz Moore of Zachary; Charles
Lytle Moore and wife Renee W. Moore of Zachary; Seven Grandchildren: Margot Moore Dutel and husband
Travis Andre Dutel; Richard “Mac” Moore IV; Zachary Lytle Moore; Ryan Lytle Moore and wife Arlette
Lauber Moore; Alexandra Moore Price and husband Christopher L. Price; Victoria Moore Gainous and
husband David Grant Gainous; Jacob Charles Moore and fiance Tabitha Johnstone; ten great-
grandchildren: Niall Thomas Dutel, Eloise Marie Dutel, Keegan Joseph Moore, David Creed Gainous, Sutton
Renee Moore, Rowan Charles Moore, Saylor Jane Moore, Nolan Christopher Price, Henderson Brooks
Gainous, and Jude Evan Price. She was preceded in death by her parents Sherman Albert Lytle and
Patricia Blacker Lytle, sister Sharon Hoffeld, and great-grandchild Brooks Cleveland Gainous. Pallbearers
will be Chip Moore III, Charles Moore, Ryan Moore, Mac Moore IV, Zachary Moore, Jacob Moore, Grant
Gainous, Travis Dutel, and Christopher Price. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in her
honor to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital of Baton Rouge or the Companion Animal Alliance, 2550 Gourrier Ave, Baton Rouge, LA 70820.
doubt that it would be a bestseller. In her early years, Sheila read every book in the local Clinton, Louisiana
library and knew by 6th grade that she either wanted to be a physician or a missionary; she figured that with
a medical degree, she could do both. Sheila graduated from Louisiana State University in 1960 with a
double-major in Chemistry and Zoology in an era when the few women who were able to pursue higher
education typically studied education and nursing. At the end of her medical school interview, an admissions
officer asked her if she realized that she was taking the spot of a well-deserving man who would actually
practice, and her life and legacy provided the perfect rebuttal. She graduated as one of seven females in a
medical school class of 110.
Sheila began work at Earl K. Long Medical Center and then became an Associate Professor of Medicine at
LSU Charity Hospital. She fell in love with the “zebras” of medicine- pediatric illnesses that were difficult to
diagnose and treat- and the discipline of hematology/ oncology provided the perfect challenges for her to
flourish. She quickly recognized deficits in care for pediatric sickle cell patients and galvanized a clinic to
improve continuity of care; when the AIDS epidemic began, she established a clinic to treat HIV-positive
children as well.
At the time she initiated the clinic at Our Lady of the Lake, Sheila was the only pediatric oncologist in Baton
Rouge and was on call practically 24/7 for over 25 years. She was so devoted to her patients and families
that she would provide them with her personal number from the onset of treatment. During that time, she
would frequently refer patients to St. Jude's and would work personally with local charities to help families
get to Memphis who could not afford it. St. Jude's partnered with Dr. Moore and Our Lady of the Lake to
establish the St. Jude’s Hospital Affiliate Clinic which opened its doors in 1998- one of only eight affiliate
clinics in the country. In its early days, the clinic hosted a bare bones staff and a chemo hood for staff to mix
their own doses of chemotherapy. Dr. Moore served as medical director for 20 years and grew the clinic
exponentially. When she began her career, the survival rate for pediatric cancers was just under 3%... the
survival rate was over 90% at the time of her retirement. She was still working four days a week in her early
80s until she finally retired (kicking and screaming) at the age of 83. She died on Sunday, March 26, 2023 at
the very hospital where she dedicated 40 years of her life, and her hospital room was bursting at the seams
with both her biological family and her medical family.
While being a physician was the greatest adventure and passion of Sheila's life, there was so much more to
who she was.The people that loved her most will remember her for her immense generosity, quick wit (and
sometimes biting remarks), and astounding intelligence. She was a loving mother who single-handedly
raised two successful men and a proud, supportive grandmother. She was the loudest voice belting hymns
in the pews of St. Patrick's Episcopal Church on Sundays and a lover of Scifi, the Appalachian mountains,
estate sales, sauvignon blanc, animals, gemstones, anything Irish, and gardening. Sheila appreciated all
forms of art and frequented Baton Rouge Little Theater, Baton Rouge Ballet, and Baton Rouge Symphony
Orchestra; she was even known to write poetry to help her process grieving her patients. I can only imagine
the reunion that was held in heaven when all of her patients met her at the gates.
There will be a visitation of Friday, March 31, 2023 at Charlet Funeral Home, Inc. in Zachary from 5:00
PM until 8:00 PM and then on Saturday, April 1, 2023, at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church from 9:00 AM
until service at 11:00 AM conducted by Fr. Dan Krutz. Burial will be at Masonic Cemetery in Clinton, LA.
She is survived by two sons: Richard “Chip” Moore III and wife Sheryl DeMetz Moore of Zachary; Charles
Lytle Moore and wife Renee W. Moore of Zachary; Seven Grandchildren: Margot Moore Dutel and husband
Travis Andre Dutel; Richard “Mac” Moore IV; Zachary Lytle Moore; Ryan Lytle Moore and wife Arlette
Lauber Moore; Alexandra Moore Price and husband Christopher L. Price; Victoria Moore Gainous and
husband David Grant Gainous; Jacob Charles Moore and fiance Tabitha Johnstone; ten great-
grandchildren: Niall Thomas Dutel, Eloise Marie Dutel, Keegan Joseph Moore, David Creed Gainous, Sutton
Renee Moore, Rowan Charles Moore, Saylor Jane Moore, Nolan Christopher Price, Henderson Brooks
Gainous, and Jude Evan Price. She was preceded in death by her parents Sherman Albert Lytle and
Patricia Blacker Lytle, sister Sharon Hoffeld, and great-grandchild Brooks Cleveland Gainous. Pallbearers
will be Chip Moore III, Charles Moore, Ryan Moore, Mac Moore IV, Zachary Moore, Jacob Moore, Grant
Gainous, Travis Dutel, and Christopher Price. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in her
honor to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital of Baton Rouge or the Companion Animal Alliance, 2550 Gourrier Ave, Baton Rouge, LA 70820.