Obituary: John Joseph Moser, Jr., 83, of Stratford

STRATFORD, CT - (From Cody-White Funeral Home) John Joseph Moser, Jr., 83, of Stratford, beloved husband of Helen Barnett Newman Moser, passed away on June 23, 2021 with his wife by his side.

Born on April 4, 1938, in Milford, CT, he was the son of the late Anna Lange Moser and John Joseph Moser.

In addition to his loving wife of 35 years, John is survived by his children, John Moser III and Dana Moser (Dean) Wilkinson; stepchildren, Lisa Newman (David) Paratore and Thomas (Carin) Newman; sisters, Kathleen Moser (Samuel) Alagno and Joanne Moser Papadopoulis; several grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. He was predeceased by his brother, Stephen Moser and sister, Patricia Moser Braun.

John’s family was living in a house on Silver Sands beach when the New England Hurricane of 1938, which remains the most powerful and deadliest hurricane in New England history, struck!

Thanks to an amazing mother’s intuition, John’s mom instinctively grabbed her infant son and ran out of their home minutes before the house was swept out to sea!

John donated pictures of that hurricane, together with his mom’s hospital bill of $8.32 for delivery and 5-day stay at Milford Hospital, to the Milford Historical Society.

After attending Stonybrook School and Stratford High, John enlisted in the Navy and proudly served on the USS GYATT (DDG-1), the first US Navy destroyer to be armed with Surface-to-Air Missiles.

He graduated from the University of Bridgeport Cum Laude as an Outstanding Marketing Major and Dana Scholar, ranking in the upper 10% of class and was listed in Who’s Who Among Students in America’s Colleges and Universities.

He continued his studies with many graduate courses through the years.

John had a successful decades-long career as a mainframe computer salesman and marketing specialist, holding such positions as Major Account Executive, Northeast Regional Manager, and National Account Manager for several noteworthy computer companies.

After marrying Helen in 1986 and moving to Florida in 1987 to take a position with a mainframe leasing company, John chose to leave the industry and try something new.

Following his wife into real estate, he became a licensed real estate salesman and then a licensed real estate broker, earning the prestigious GRI (Graduate, Realtor Institute) and CRS (Certified Residential Specialist) certifications; and they soon acquired a boutique real estate firm specializing in waterfront properties in the Greater Boca/Highland Beach/Gulfstream area.

A few years later, John accepted the invitation of his cherished friend and business colleague, Carl, to form a partnership wherein he established and ran the international division of a Bridgeport-based firm providing Unisys computer equipment to countries and corporations around the world. A move from Delray Beach to Vero Beach prompted John to leave real estate and again focus on computer marketing and sales.

In 1997, he moved back to Connecticut, retiring in 2000.

John was a larger-than-life personality who enjoyed life to the fullest! His strong work ethic was balanced by a huge sense of humor, a quick wit, and a strong, abiding love of family and friends (especially his grandchildren!). He was an avid reader who loved country and doo-wop music, dancing, dining out, and basketball... particularly the UConn Girls basketball team.

One of the most significant aspects of John’s life was that he was a friend of Bill W’s for 44 years, consistently reaching out over four decades to help countless others get their lives back in order.

Friends and family may call on Friday, July 9, 2021, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the CODY-WHITE FUNERAL HOME, 107 Broad St., Milford, CT.

A Graveside Service with Military Honors will take place on Saturday, July 10, 2021 at 10 a.m. at St. John’s Cemetery, 2610 Nichols Ave., Stratford, CT.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of John Moser may be made to the Bill Wilson House, P.O. Box 46, East Dorset, VT 05253 (online at www.wilsonhouse.org) or Tunnel to Towers, 2361 Hylan Blvd., Staten Island, NY 10306 (online at www.t2t.org).