Tedde Moore, who played Ralphie’s teacher Miss Shields in the holiday classic A Christmas Story as part of a long screen and stage career, has died. She was 79.
Her family wrote on social media that she died August 5 in Huntsville, Ontario, but did not reveal a cause of death.
“On Wednesday August 5th under sunny skies overlooking Fairy Lake, Tedde passed away surrounded by family physically and spiritually in her beloved Huntsville Muskoka,” the statement read. Her bravery in this choice was almost overwhelming, beyond beautiful and also difficult. Forever the teacher, she had a quote for every occasion and a special way of touching the lives and hearts of everyone she met. Her magic and love will be remembered by all she took under her generous and welcoming wings.
Born Dorothea Mavor Moore on April 11, 1947, in Toronto, she was part of a showbiz family that included her actor father Mavor Moore and grandmother Dora Mavor Moore, a pioneer in Canadian theater. She graduated with honors from London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1967 and soon was starring in a Canadian stage production of the Bard’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream opposite Christopher Walken.
Moore then began acting in TV and films before being landing her most famous role. She played the strict but patient grade-school teacher of Peter Billingsley’s Ralphie in Bob Clark’s classic A Christmas Story, which has become among the most popular holiday films of the past half-century. The pic was inducted into the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry in 2012.
In one of the film’s signature scenes, Ralphie and Schwartz (R.D. Robb) get their friend Flick (Scott Schwartz) to put his tongue on a frozen flagpole — in response to a “triple dog dare” — leading to a medical emergency that requires the Fire Department to free the kid. When Moore’s Miss Shields grills the class as to who was responsible, she delivers the memorable lines: “Those who did it know their blame, and I’m sure that the guilt you feel is far worse than any punishment you might receive. Now, don’t you feel terrible? Don’t you feel remorse for what you have done?”
She would reprise the Miss Shields role for the 1994 sequel My Summer Story — the only actor to appear as the same character in both movies. She also appeared documentaries about A Christmas Story over the years.
Moore continued to act in films and TV into the late 2010s, guesting on such series as Friday the 13th: The Series T&T, Odyssey 5 and RoboCop: PORime Directives, along with appearing in a number of TV movies and miniseries including 2011’s The Kennedys. She also voiced the aunt of the title character in the Rolie Polie Olie series and one movie.
She also worked as an acting teacher during her career.
Moore was married to Canadian director Donald Shebib from 1976 until his death in 2023. They had two children, Suzanna and Noah Shebib, a child actor-turned-music producer who has worked extensive with Drake throughout the wildly popular Canadian rapper’s long career. Moore also had a daughter from an earlier relationship and raised a foster daughter.
