Myrenna Kickasola

Myrenna Ann Moore Kickasola entered into the eternal joy of her Savior on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023, after a long battle with scleroderma.

She was born Dec. 11, 1941, in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, to the Rev. Robert G. and Grace McCallum Moore. She joined her older brother, Bobby, in a family of modest means and enormous faith. Throughout her childhood in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where she grew up, her significant musical gifts became apparent, as she learned to play the piano at a very young age. She accompanied her father's church services and literally thousands of services after. She never accepted any payment for a church service throughout her life, believing it was her tithe to the Lord for the gifts He had given her.

While studying music at Houghton College (from which she graduated magna cum laude in 1963), she met Joseph Kickasola. The two were married, and both embarked upon graduate level education in the Philadelphia area, he at Westminster Seminary and she at University of Pennsylvania. There, while achieving her Master of Arts in Musicology, she discovered her passion for music education. After moving to the Boston area, where her husband pursued his doctorate at Brandeis University, she taught music in various schools, as she would in several places throughout her life, and she eventually became a nationally renowned and much sought-after piano teacher.

Joe and Myrenna had three children: Joseph, Martha Rusten and Matthew. They lived in Ashland, Ohio, from 1971 to 1985, and Virginia Beach, Virginia, from 1985 until 2021.

During her time in Virginia, while her husband taught at Regent University, Myrenna actively served multiple churches in the Tidewater area, including New Covenant Presbyterian, New Life Presbyterian, Westminster Presbyterian and Calvary Presbyterian. She was well known in the Tidewater music community as an active member and officer in both Tidewater Music Teachers Forum and Virginia Music Teachers Association. She was granted "Permanent Certification" by the National Music Teachers Association in 2018, based on her vaunted reputation and years of service to countless musicians over the years.

In 2021, they moved to Cape Girardeau to be near Martha, and join the delightful community at Chateau Girardeau. Myrenna spoke often of her many new friends there and delighted herself and others at the grand piano in the community room. She also found great friendship, meaning and encouragement in the senior adult Sunday school class at Cape Bible Chapel.

She fiercely loved and is survived by her husband, each of her children and her six grandchildren, Bronwyn and Matteo from Joe and Linnea; Jackson and Henry from Martha and Mark Rusten; and Andrew and Micah from Matthew and Erin.

Myrenna was preceded in death by her mother, father and brother.

Despite battling many health issues throughout the last few decades of her life, Myrenna was known to all as an unfailingly cheerful and kind soul. She credited her faith for her resilience, as articulated in her favorite Scripture verse, Deuteronomy 31:8: "It is the LORD who goes before you; he will be with you and will never fail you or forsake you. So do not fear or be dismayed."

Visitation will be from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21, at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau.

Funeral will follow at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21, at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Myrenna's honor may be sent to Covenant College at Lookout Mountain, Georgia, where all her children attended; Calvary Presbyterian Church in Norfolk, Virginia; and Chateau Employee Christmas Fund at Chateau Girardeau.

Burial will be at Cape County Memorial Park Cemetery in Cape Girardeau.

Online condolences may be made at www.fordandsonsfuneralhome.com.