Kaycee Moore

Obituary For Kaycee Moore

Kaycee (Collier) Moore-Jones, daughter of the late Angie Mae (Sandifer) Aker and Andrew Collier was born on February 24, 1944, in Kansas City, Kansas. Curious, intelligent and rambunctious from the start, Kaycee had a spirited and daring approach to life with an energy that filled any room she stepped into. It would be this energy that led her to first husband John Moore, Jr. whom she married in 1959 and their two children John III and Michelle. Upon moving to California in the 1970s it was there that Kaycee’s natural affinity for entertainment took hold as she began to audition in Los Angeles as a budding actress.

It was there that she would meet future Oscar award winning, acclaimed director Charles Burnett while he was still in film school at UCLA. Upon auditioning and building a report with Burnett she went on to star in his debut full-length feature film Killer of Sheep in 1977, a story depicting the realities of socioeconomic oppression upon the Black community during the 1970s. The film was a standout success among critics which led to Kaycee starring in another film by Billie Woodberry called Bless Their Little Hearts 5 years later. In her film career she went on to star in two more films, 1991’s world renown Daughters of the Dust by Julie Dash and Ninth Street by Kevin Willmott in 1997. Three of these four films (Killer of Sheep, Bless Their Little Hearts, and Daughters of the Dust) were inducted and preserved in the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry for their important artistic impact and depiction of the Black experience in America.

While pursuing entertainment, Kaycee was also encouraged to take part in philanthropic efforts joining her mother’s work toward mobilizing funding and legislation for Sickle Cell patients and their families. As a result of Angie Aker’s tireless social campaigning for patient rights across the country she founded the Kansas City chapter of the Sickle Cell Disease Association in 1976 where she served as its inaugural Executive Director. Following her mother’s inspiration, Kaycee presided as Executive Director of the Chapter from 1984 to 1998.

During her tenure as Director, she along with second husband the late Stephen Jones, developed an innovative and exciting new way to inform and raise funding for Sickle Cell research through charitable concert “Meet N’ Greets” where children stricken with sickle cell had a chance to meet some of the big entertainers of the time. Alongside her colleague Dr. Mark Mitchell, they also helped to form the Coalition for Sickle Cell Services. This joint social task force helped to provide education and health resources to KC residents across multiple organizations including SCDAA-KC, the Kansas City Health Department and Samuel U. Rogers clinic to name a few.

Throughout her life Kaycee remained a faithful, spunky and smart woman who’s impact will last a lifetime through her art and memories of all those she loved and who loved her. Kaycee is preceded in transition by her parents and brothers Jack Collier, Willie B. Collier and John Collier. She is survived by her two children John Moore III and Michelle (Moore) Swinton, her three grandchildren Marque Dixon, Shanell Swinton and Charles Swinton, Jr., great-grandchildren Cameron, Landon, Gabrielle and Nicole, and siblings Margaret Hall, Angie Ruth (Collier) Wesley, Francis Collier and Jimmie Collier. Her loving village also stretches to a host of nieces, nephews and extended families throughout the Kansas City region.

A Memorial Service will be held on next Monday, August 23, 2021,11:00am at the Watkins Heritage Chapel. private Disposition. Service conducted by Watkins Heritage Chapel.