Moore, who had multiple sclerosis, died on Aug. 5.

Tedde Moore, Ralphie’s teacher in A Christmas Story, dies at 79

Moore, who had multiple sclerosis, died on Aug. 5.

By Leigh Blickley

August 10, 2026 11:23 a.m. ET

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Tedde Moore in 2022. Credit:

Darren Eagles/Getty

- Tedde Moore died on Aug. 5 at the age of 79, her family announced in a statement.

- She is best known for playing Ralphie’s teacher in *A Christmas Story*.

- Her son is music producer Noah Shebib, a.k.a. 40.

Tedde Moore, best known for playing Miss Shields in the 1983 holiday classic *A Christmas Story*, has died. She was 79.

Her family announced her death in a statement on Facebook, sharing, “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 continued, “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.”

** has reached out to Moore’s team for further comment.

Moore portrayed Ralphie Parker’s (Peter Billingsley) teacher in the Bob Clark-directed *A Christmas Story*, which also featured Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin and Ian Petrella. In the film, she memorably gave Ralphie a bad grade on his paper after he wrote about wanting a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. Miss Shields also had to deal with Flick (Scott Schwartz) getting his tongue stuck on an ice-cold flagpole.

The actress was nominated for a Genie Award, presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, for best performance by a supporting actress for the role. Moore also reprised the character for 1994’s *My Summer Story*, which, like its predecessor, was based on Jean Shepherd’s semi-autobiographical stories.

Moore also appeared in the TV series *Friday the 13th: The Series *(1989), *RoboCop: Prime Directives *(2001), *Odyssey 5* (2002), *This Is Wonderland* (2005), and *The Kennedys* (2011). She was also in Hallmark’s *Magical Christmas Ornaments* in 2017.

Tedde Moore in ‘A Christmas Story’.

Moore was born in Toronto to Darwina Faessler and actor and cultural icon Mavor Moore. (She is also the granddaughter of Canadian theater legend Dora Mavor Moore.) Tedde graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London in 1967 with the Principal’s Medal of Honor, and went on to star opposite Christopher Walken in the Stratford Festival production of *A Midsummer Night’s Dream*.

She and her longtime partner, filmmaker Donald Shebib, had two children—Noah, better known as the Grammy-winning music producer 40, and Suzanna, a child actress. She also raised foster daughter Chaunce Drury, and had daughter Zoë from an earlier relationship with actor Patrick Christopher Carter.

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She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2009, a few years after her son, 40, received an MS diagnosis. He is a frequent collaborator of Drake’s, and produced his hits “Hold On, We’re Going Home,” “One Dance,” “God’s Plan,” “Toosie Slide” and “Take Care.”

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“I think one of the biggest struggles people with MS face is trying to define it to people and explain how it manifests itself,” 40 told *CNN* in 2012. “It’s very difficult, you know ... [People] don’t understand why or how, and it doesn’t make sense to a lot of people. It’s very difficult to grasp the concept.”

Tedde is survived by her children and grandchildren. Donald Shebib died in 2023 at 85.

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