Willliam Moser

On January 21,2024, God reached down and invited William “Bill” Moser to join his beloved wife, Virginia, for eternity. He gratefully and peacefully accepted the invitation. Bill had a full and valued life and thanked God for the body that he wore out after 99 years of use. He and his beloved wife will spend eternity painting the heavens for all to enjoy.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents (Bill & Kate), Virginia (his wife of 61 years), and 3 siblings. He is
survived by his sister Leah Brokhoff (Pottsville PA), his children Bill lll, Ginger Moser-Morse, Gretchen Sanders, and their families which include 5 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. Numerous relatives and friends also prevail/survive/abide/carry on.

Born in Mahanoy City, PA., Bill called Pottsville home where he was raised by his amazing parents, William Sr. and Katherine Moser. Bill Jr was the fourth of 5 children. They were devoted Lutherans and practiced
faithfully. Each family member never failed to help others in their journey to make life and the world better.

Bill loved music, sports, and art. In high school he was a spirited member of the a-cappella choir, the band,
the Minuet Club and Thespians. He was an avid reader, loved to write and hoped to make that more than a
hobby as he became an adult. He won several art contests before graduating from high school, thereby
planting the seed for his future career.

In 1943, Bill wanted to serve his country and enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He served in 3 theaters: the
Mediterranean; the Atlantic and the Pacific. He was honorably discharged in 1946.

Upon leaving the Navy, he briefly attended Meulenberg College in PA, where he was encouraged to
follow a path in the Fine Arts. He attended the Washington School of Art (later to become part of the
Corcoran School of Art) in Washington DC. There he met fellow student, Virginia Patterson. After finishing art school, they married and started a family in Greenbelt MD. As the family grew, they moved to Riverdale, then eventually settled in Potomac MD where they thrived until Virginia’s passing in 2011. Bill would move to Frederick, MD, after residing in Potomac for 56 years.

To provide for his young family, Bill became a civil servant for the US Post Office. In order to further his
career in the art field, he pursued art jobs in a variety of government agencies (DIA, DOD, Pentagon, to name a few). His talent and superior work ethic enabled him to become the founding Art Director for the Navy Recruiting Command in Washington DC and Virginia. He retired with numerous awards after 38 years of dedicated federal service.

Bill was always willing to give his time and talents to family, friends, his church, and coworkers. In his spare
time, he would teach semi-private art classes to children. He and Ginny would also participate in art shows too numerous to mention. His art is in many homes and offices of well-known political and sports figures nationwide, as well as private collections. Some of the art that he produced for the Navy is in the National Archives and the Navy Yard collection.

Bill was a devoted sibling, husband, and father. He was honest, trustworthy, faithful … a great Scout as a
teenager, young man and later as a Scoutmaster. He was very involved with his children’s education and served as president of the PTA for a few years. He sang in the church choir and was known to burst into song anytime, anywhere, delighting many people young and old. His imagination never stopped and he would entertain and amuse people with jokes, shaggy-dog stories, and stories from his imagination. Bill had the ability to vividly dream a ‘series’, some of which became English compositions that his children used in school. “He was a rare combination of someone who had a love of life and a firm understanding of what was important — the simplicity of living a life with those you love.”

Countless people from near and far were welcomed into the Moser home, fed, entertained, and loved by Bill and his family. If you were lucky enough to be one, you left the house having new friends and your spirits raised. Bill had an infectious personality that brightened up many a day for family, friends, colleagues and neighbors. Virginia often said how he could make her laugh and smile. He kept his wit to the end… when asked where did he get his navy cap (a well worn USS Sumner cap adorned with numerous pins) his response “from the hat rack.”

Before passing Bill forged a 99-year trail of laughter, generosity, compassion, and wisdom. His infectious
ebullience, curiosity, enthusiasm, and love nourished and guided not only his family but those he worked with. He demonstrated the endless possibilities of what we could achieve, how we could freely give to others without expectation, and what a well-lived life looked like.

A man of profound faith, he was a member of Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Bethesda, MD, until his
passing. His membership continues as he will be in the church’s columbarium, sharing a cozy niche with Virginia. A few art materials will be included for them to share.

We would like to extend our most sincere thanks to the many caregivers from HomeInstead and Visiting
Angels that brought days of joy and comfort to Bill. He was proud to call many of them friends. We owe a special thanks to the staff at Silverado Memory Care Community, in Frederick MD, that showed love, caring and allowed Bill to be independent and pass with dignity. A memorial service will be held on April 20, 2024, at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 7730 Bradley Blvd Bethesda MD 20817. The service will begin at 11:00 AM with a reception to follow.

On many occasions before his passing, Bill was adamant that people wear colorful clothing at his
memorial service. He was not fond of the color black to the point that he would not even use black frames on his paintings. Please honor him by wearing something colorful. Also, Bill would request/hope that in the future you would remember him by exercising an unexpected and unsolicited Act of Random Kindness for some person(s) in need.

In lieu of flowers, we ask that any contributions be made to the William “Bill” Moser Art Scholarship,
Pottsville High School 1600 Elk Avenue, Pottsville PA 17901, payable to PAHS Auxiliary. The scholarship will be for future budding artists pursuing Art as a vocation.