Dorothy Jean (Moon) Stansbury

Dore Moon Stansbury passed on from us Thursday morning, June 25th  at Portneuf Hospital Pocatello, Idaho with her children by her side.  She was born in Pocatello, Idaho August 15, 1929, daughter of Clark B. Moon, public accountant, and Ruth G. Moon (former Idaho State Treasurer) and sister of Marjorie Ruth Moon (former Idaho State Treasurer).  She moved to Boise, Idaho when her mother was elected State Treasurer.

She graduated from Boise High School and the Novikoff School of Ballet, Seattle, Washington.  She was a professional dancer in New York and the head of the Flatbush Branch’s Ballet and Tap Department of Fred Astaire Studio.  She was also a professional ballroom dancer on the resort circuit from Boca Raton, Florida to Oakton Manor in Peewaukee, Wisconsin, and Fiddleman’s Resort in South Haven, Michigan.  She owned the Dore Moon School of Dance for 25 years, choreographed six Boise Music Week productions, produced monthly dance programs sponsored by the Disabled Veteran’s at the Hospital in Boise for 20 years, appeared in numerous El Korah Shrine melodramas (usually as a villainess) and choreographed several Boise Little Theater productions (Octette Bridge Club, Deadwood Dick, Anything Goes).  She was also the director of the First United Methodist Church Cathedral of the Rockies Sacred Dance Choir for 20 years.

In addition to her dance activities, she was Charter President of Beta Sigma Phi-Zeta, organized the first library in Garden City and was its first Board President.  She was appointed to Commission on the Arts by Governor John Evans and was a member of the advisory board for the Idaho Resources for the Blind.

She married Paul Stansbury in 1964 and they divorced in 1989. They had three children.

She also owned Buckwalters’ Ladies Apparel, was a bridal consultant for Bon Marche in Towne Square when it opened and was a secretary for the Idaho Soil Conservation Commission for 10 years. 

Her masonic activities included being International Order of DeMolay’s Past Idaho State Sweetheart Director, Job’s Daughters International Past Guardian of Bethel #6 (Meridian) and a past council member for Bethels #52 & #54 (Boise).  She was a Past Queen of Daughters of the Nile Iras Temple #41, Nile Club Officer in Pocatello, Rupert and Twin Falls, and Past Worthy Matron of Order of the Eastern Star Meridian #66, Mystic Star #81 (Boise) and E-dah-ho Chapter (Paul).

She was the Secretary of the Rupert Centennial Commission and produced their Vintage and Vogue Fashion Show and was looking forward to participating in another vintage fashion show for the Minidoka County Historical Society.

With her Shih-Tzu “Pixie”, she was a member of Therapy Pets Serving Mini-Cassia for over 10 years.  They helped many children with their reading in Burley and visited several nursing homes weekly.  Pixie preceded her master in passing on earlier this month.

Dore is survived by her daughters Ruth (Tony) Bailes of Rupert, ID, and Karen Roberts of Winchester, MA; and son David (Connie) Stansbury of Burley, ID; five granddaughters, three grandsons and fourteen great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to the Shrine Hospital Travel Fund, OES Scholarship Fund, Therapy Pets Serving Mini-Cassia, or the Minidoka Animal Shelter.

Funeral services will be held 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, June 30, 2020 at the Rupert United Methodist Church.  Graveside services will be held Wednesday, July 1, 2020 at Cloverdale Cemetery (Boise) at 11:00 a.m.  Services are under the direction of Joel Heward Hansen Mortuary.

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