Principal Robert Moody Honored With Street Naming

By Journalist Dr. Ms. Jones

NEWBURGH – Decades after Robert W. Moody helped shape the lives of generations of Newburgh students, the community gathered Friday to ensure his legacy would remain visible for years to come. On Oct. 9th, family members, former students, educators, elected officials, and community leaders gathered at the corner of Montgomery and South streets for the dedication of Robert W. Moody Way, across from Horizons on the Hudson, the school formerly known as Montgomery Street School. The ceremony honored an educator whose influence extended beyond the classroom, touching families and helping young people recognize their potential. For those who knew him, the new street sign represents more than a name; it reflects a lifetime of service, high expectations, and commitment to children.

Moody, who lived from Oct. 30, 1934, to July 14, 2019, began teaching in September 1958 as the first African American sixth-grade teacher at Montgomery Street School, according to his obituary. He later became principal of Grand Street School in 1968, Montgomery Street School in 1969, and eventually Vails Gate High Tech Magnet School. His educational journey included Elizabeth City State Teacher’s College and a master’s degree from Columbia University Teachers College, but those who gathered Friday remembered not only his credentials, but also the personal relationships he built throughout the community.

Apostle Jeffrey Woody, one of Moody’s former students, brought the proposal to honor the educator before the City Council. Woody attended Montgomery Street School from kindergarten through fourth grade and remembered a school where academic achievement and accountability were taken seriously. He said Moody’s leadership helped establish a culture in which students understood that learning was their responsibility and that adults expected them to succeed.

“He was really stern, and you really didn’t want to get in trouble because when he called you to the office, oh well!” Apostle Woody said with a laugh. “We had Black teachers. We also had white teachers, and in that school building, all of the teachers were concerned about students being successful.”

Apostle Woody also reflected on how the school’s expectations helped shape students’ attitudes toward education. He said many of the children were honor students because achievement was the standard established for them. During the ceremony, Woody offered a prayer that recognized the significance of honoring a life dedicated to service. He described the street naming as more than a dedication, calling it a public acknowledgment of a man whose influence reached beyond the school building and the title of principal. Woody prayed that Moody’s family would find comfort in knowing that a life devoted to helping others could continue to speak long after the work itself had ended.

For Moody’s daughters, Karen Moody and Kelly Moody-Williams, the ceremony was an opportunity to see their father’s impact recognized by people whose lives he had touched. Karen said she was grateful that the community continued to remember and celebrate him years after his passing. She described the outpouring of affection as a reminder that his influence belonged not only to the family, but also to the people of Newburgh.

“I’m just so elated for my dad, for his memory, for his honor,” Karen said. “I’m just happy that there are people here in Newburgh who still remember him, who still love him… We all miss him.”

She also reflected on the importance of representation in education and the need for students to have teachers and principals who understand their experiences. For her, the ceremony affirmed that her father’s work had left a lasting impression on the community he served.

Kelly Moody-Williams described the street naming as both an honor and a blessing. She said her father represented the possibilities of what education could open for young people willing to work toward their goals. His example, she added, offered a lesson that reached far beyond his own family.

“[I want him to be remembered] just as a motivator of learning and inspiration for those in the community who aspire for more, and are willing to put in the work,” Kelly said, reflecting on what her father represented. “He showed you that education could lead to greater things — the gift of choice in this life.”

NESCD BOE Member Philip Howard, who remembers Moody as his first-grade principal, said the educator’s influence became even more meaningful as he grew older. Following the introduction of busing, Howard was moved from Newburgh schools to New Windsor, where he missed having a Black male educator and principal serving as a role model in his daily school experience. However, Moody remained a visible presence in the community through his involvement with the Boys & Girls Club, CWA softball, and Hebron Lodge.

“He really gave me the impetus to be the individual that I am today, and that is being a successful Black man, giving back to his community, and caring about his community,” Howard said, remembering how Moody knew students’ parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles, and created relationships that extended well beyond the school building. “It was just like family.”

Dr. Karriem Bunce, who worked in the building where Moody built much of his professional legacy, said the educator’s commitment to children could be seen in the way he supported students and families. Bunce recalled how Moody and his family brought resources and positive examples into the school community, encouraging young people to set goals and recognize their potential.

“That sign means something to all of us. It’s like that’s all of our dads, that’s all of our somebodies, because that sign wouldn’t exist without people saying this is something that this man has done for this world,” Dr. Bunce said.

Orange County Legislator Gabrielle Hill shared a personal memory that reflected Moody’s firm approach to discipline and the relationships he maintained with students. As a child, Hill was mistaken for another student and received a paddling before Moody realized the mistake, prompting him to call her to his office to apologize and try to make amends with candy. Looking back on the Black educators who influenced her life, Hill credited them with helping shape the person she became.

“I am truly grateful as your Orange County legislator. I am only who I am because of folks like Mr. Moody, Miss Barton, Miss Sanders, and all the other Black teachers that stood before me,” Hill said.

Town of Newburgh Councilwoman Mary McLymore remembered Moody as an educator who cared deeply about both his students and their families.

“Mr. Moody was a major example of how we should have been treated by our principals at that time, growing up here in the city of Newburgh,” Councilwoman McLymore said, recalling when her mother died in 1969, Moody was there to make sure the family was doing well, a gesture she never forgot. “So, I’m very grateful about that.”

City Councilman Omari Shakur reflected on the significance of seeing a Black man in a position of authority during the 1960s. Moody’s leadership helped shape his understanding of representation and possibility.

“Being a young man in the ’60s, to see a Black man in a position of power was really uplifting,” Councilman Shakur said. “It’s a lasting memory in my mind, seeing a Black man in the ’60s in charge of the school.”

Moody was also active in the NAACP, Vails Gate Fire Company, and Hebron Lodge No. 48, reflecting a commitment to service that reached across educational, civic, and fraternal life. His involvement in the community extended to athletics as well. A September 1, 1959, Newburgh-Beacon News photograph identifies Bob Moody as a member of the Community Workers Association softball team that won the Class A championship in Newburgh. Those who gathered for the street naming described a man who expected students to work hard but also understood the importance of knowing their families, encouraging their ambitions, and helping them see a future beyond their immediate circumstances. The dedication brought together those different parts of his legacy: educator, mentor, community member, and father.

Moody’s name now stands in the community where he spent so much of his life helping young people learn, grow, and believe in their potential. And decades after he first stepped into a Newburgh classroom, the community is still talking about him.

Journalist Ms. Jones