Lawmaker mourns her mother, former state first lady

Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) is mourning the loss of her mother, her home state’s former first lady.

{mosads}Shelley Riley Moore, died Saturday at 88. She was married to Arch Moore, governor of the Mountain State, for more than six decades. Moore served three terms as governor.

Sixty-year-old Moore Capito, who’s currently running for the Senate seat of the retiring Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.V.), called her mother a “wonderful, warm and loving person,” in a statement released by her family to local media. “Mom matched an uplifting sense of humor with a genuine ability to listen and connect, traits that made everyone around her know they mattered… She was deeply honored to serve as first lady of West Virginia for 12 years.”

Some of Moore Capito’s colleagues in Congress offered their condolences. Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wisc.) wrote on Twitter on Monday:

Deepest sympathies to @RepShelley on the passing of her mom, fmr West Virginia First Lady Shelley Riley Moore. May her memory be a blessing.

— Gwen Moore (@RepGwenMoore) September 15, 2014

Moore Capito thanked supporters on Monday, writing on Twitter:

Thank you for the outpouring of support and thoughtful words about the life of our mother, Shelley Riley Moore. pic.twitter.com/SMzBRQCbHK

— Shelley Moore Capito (@RepShelley) September 15, 2014

Mom was an inspiration to us all and proudly served as West Virginia’s first lady for 12 years. We will miss her dearly.

— Shelley Moore Capito (@RepShelley) September 15, 2014