Skip to content

Moore Family Tree Four Generations of Radical Justice

The Moore family is a wealthy California family with a four-generation legacy of disability rights, civil rights, and social justice advocacy. The family’s defining moment came in 1968, when Bill and Dorothy Moore refused to institutionalize their daughter Heather Moore despite medical advice—a choice that shaped all four of their older children’s careers and echoed forward into the next generation.

Quick Reference

Moore Family Tree

Four generations of a wealthy California family with a legacy of disability-rights and social-justice advocacy, anchored by Bill and Dorothy Moore's 1968 refusal to institutionalize their daughter Heather. Through their daughter Ellen's marriage to Greg Matsuda, the line continues into the Matsuda children.

graph TD
    ggparents["Moore Great-Grandparents (name TBD)<br/>b. c. 1920s"]
    bill["Bill Moore<br/>b. c. 1925"]
    dorothy["Dorothy Moore<br/>b. c. 1925"]
    ellen["Ellen Patricia Moore Matsuda<br/>b. c. 1951<br/>State oversight official, CA Dept. of Developmental Services"]
    mark["Mark Moore<br/>b. c. 1954<br/>Civil rights lawyer"]
    annie_m["Annie Moore<br/>b. c. 1958<br/>Doctor, disability-competent healthcare"]
    richard["Richard Moore<br/>b. c. 1964<br/>Teacher, inclusive education advocate"]
    heather["Heather Moore<br/>b. 1968"]
    greg["Dr. Gregory &quot;Greg&quot; Matsuda<br/>Educational psychologist"]
    susie["Susan &quot;Susie&quot; Matsuda<br/>b. 1977-08-12<br/>Doctor (following Aunt Annie)"]
    cody["Cody Matsuda<br/>b. 1979-02-15<br/>Author (Voices Beyond Speech), disability advocate"]
    pattie["Patricia &quot;Pattie&quot; Matsuda<br/>b. 1982-11-03"]
    joey["Joseph &quot;Joey&quot; Matsuda<br/>b. 1987-06-20<br/>Disability rights lawyer; founded Matsuda Law Group"]
    andy["Andy Davis<br/>Disability advocate"]
    ggparents --> bill
    bill --> ellen
    dorothy --> ellen
    bill --> mark
    dorothy --> mark
    bill --> annie_m
    dorothy --> annie_m
    bill --> richard
    dorothy --> richard
    bill --> heather
    dorothy --> heather
    ellen --> susie
    greg --> susie
    ellen --> cody
    greg --> cody
    ellen --> pattie
    greg --> pattie
    ellen --> joey
    greg --> joey
    bill -.spouse.-> dorothy
    ellen -.spouse.-> greg
    cody -.spouse.-> andy
Text equivalent of the family tree (structured nested list)
  • Moore Great-Grandparents (name TBD) (b. c. 1920s)
    • Wealthy California family; activists in labor, civil, and early disability rights. Established the family value: ‘That’s just how things are’ is never an acceptable answer. Names TBD.
    • Bill Moore (b. c. 1925)
      • Made the defining 1968 choice to keep Heather home rather than institutionalize her.
      • Married to Dorothy Moore (b. c. 1925)
      • Ellen Patricia Moore Matsuda (b. c. 1951, State oversight official, CA Dept. of Developmental Services)
        • Married to Dr. Gregory “Greg” Matsuda
        • Susan “Susie” Matsuda (b. 1977-08-12, Doctor (following Aunt Annie))
        • Cody Matsuda (b. 1979-02-15, Author (Voices Beyond Speech), disability advocate)
          • Autistic, CFS, acquired brain injury, motor apraxia of speech. Married Andy Davis 2013.
          • Married to Andy Davis
        • Patricia “Pattie” Matsuda (b. 1982-11-03)
          • AuDHD.
        • Joseph “Joey” Matsuda (b. 1987-06-20, Disability rights lawyer; founded Matsuda Law Group)
          • Autistic (diagnosed in teens/young adulthood). Wanted to name the firm ‘Heather’s Law’ after his aunt.
      • Mark Moore (b. c. 1954, Civil rights lawyer)
      • Annie Moore (b. c. 1958, Doctor, disability-competent healthcare)
      • Richard Moore (b. c. 1964, Teacher, inclusive education advocate)
      • Heather Moore (b. 1968)
        • Cerebral palsy, epilepsy. Kept home rather than institutionalized in 1968 — the choice that sent all four older siblings into justice-oriented careers.

Generation 1: Great-Grandparents (c. 1920s–1930s)

  • Wealthy California family
  • Activists in labor rights, civil rights, and early disability rights
  • Established the family’s core value: “That’s just how things are” is never an acceptable answer

Generation 2: Bill & Dorothy Moore

Bill Moore (b. c. 1920s) - Married: Dorothy Moore - Children: Ellen, Mark, Annie, Richard, Heather - Made the defining choice to keep Heather Moore home rather than institutionalize her (1968)

Dorothy Moore (b. c. 1920s) - Married: Bill Moore - Children: Ellen, Mark, Annie, Richard, Heather

Generation 3: The Moore Siblings

Ellen Patricia Moore Matsuda (b. c. 1951) - Married: Dr. Gregory “Greg” Matsuda - Children: Susie, Cody, Pattie, Joey Matsuda - Career: State oversight official, California Department of Developmental Services

Mark Moore (b. c. 1953–1955) - Career: Civil rights lawyer

Annie Moore (b. c. 1957–1959) - Career: Doctor specializing in disability-competent healthcare

Richard Moore (b. c. 1963–1965) - Career: Teacher, inclusive education advocate

Heather Moore (b. 1968) - Disabilities: Cerebral Palsy, Epilepsy - Bill and Dorothy chose to keep her home rather than institutionalize her—a radical decision in the 1960s - Living a full, dignified life with family support - The reason all four older siblings went into justice-oriented careers

Dr. Gregory “Greg” Matsuda (Ellen’s husband) - Married: Ellen Matsuda - Children: Susie, Cody, Pattie, Joey - Career: Educational psychologist - Autistic (diagnosed later in life)

Generation 4: The Matsuda Children

Susan “Susie” Matsuda (b. August 12, 1977) - Parents: Ellen Matsuda, Greg Matsuda - Career path: Doctor (following Aunt Annie)

Cody Matsuda (b. February 15, 1979) - Parents: Ellen Matsuda, Greg Matsuda - Married: Andy Davis (2013) - Disabilities: Autistic, CFS, acquired brain injury, motor apraxia of speech - Career: Published author (‘’Voices Beyond Speech’‘), disability advocate

Patricia “Pattie” Matsuda (b. November 3, 1982) - Parents: Ellen Matsuda, Greg Matsuda - Neurodivergence: AuDHD

Joseph “Joey” Matsuda (b. June 20, 1987) - Parents: Ellen Matsuda, Greg Matsuda - Autistic (diagnosed in teens/young adulthood) - Career: Disability rights lawyer, founded Matsuda Law Group - Wanted to name the firm “Heather’s Law” after his aunt

Andy Davis (Cody’s husband) - Married: Cody Matsuda (2013) - Disability: Cerebral Palsy - Career: Disability advocate

Family Patterns

The Defining Choice (1968): When doctors advised Bill and Dorothy to institutionalize Heather, they refused. That single decision rippled outward across generations: all four older siblings went into justice-oriented work, and the ethic carried into the Matsuda generation through Joey’s disability rights law practice.

Professional Justice Network: Ellen (state disability services regulator), Mark (civil rights lawyer), Annie (disability-competent doctor), and Richard (inclusive education teacher) collectively embody the family’s values at an institutional level. Joey extended this into the next generation with Matsuda Law Group.

Core Value (Four Generations): “That’s just how things are” is never an acceptable answer—established by the great-grandparents, demonstrated by Bill and Dorothy in 1968, and carried forward by every generation since.

Susie Matsuda; Andy Davis; Andy Davis - Career and Legacy; Cody Matsuda; Andy Davis and Cody Matsuda; Ellen Matsuda; Heather Moore

Family Trees Moore Family Matsuda Family