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¶
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.
Related Entries¶
Susie Matsuda - Biography; Andy Davis - Biography; Andy Davis - Career and Legacy; Cody Matsuda - Biography; Andy Davis and Cody Matsuda - Relationship; Ellen Matsuda - Biography; Heather Moore - Biography