Roy Moss

MOSS_Roy Moss, 91, artist, sculptor, wood carver, and teacher, died at his home in Rio Rancho, New Mexico on Saturday, May 30, 2009. Roy was born in New York City in 1917 the son of Isidore and Josephine Moscowitz, grew up in Queens, and as a young man taught himself to whittle, carve, and play jazz drums. He served in the Army in World War II as a Staff Sergeant in France and Germany. In 1947 he married Harriett Finkelstein, and they had three sons. From 1947 until 1975 he was a store manager and store owner in New York and Connecticut, and then started his own business selling original prints and etchings by master artists. In the 1970's he went back to school to earn an MA in early childhood development. For his thesis, he created a wood-carving workshop specifically for children with developmental difficulties. In 1979, he and his wife Harriett moved to Rio Rancho, and they both continued to work and volunteer extensively in the fields of arts and education. Roy Moss taught workshops and classes in carving and woodworking at institutions, both public and private, throughout New Mexico. In twenty-five years of classes, he taught hundreds of people not just to carve but to learn to see, to trust their eyes and hands, and to get the same pleasure he did from approaching a piece of wood. His love of music, art and literature inspired both his children and many others, young and old, over the years. He was preceded in death by one sister, Debbie. Roy is survived by his beloved wife of 62 years, Harriett, his bother, Jay and wife Sabina of New York; three sons, David and wife Andrea in Berlin, Germany, Jules and wife Serra in Huntington Beach, CA, and Benjamin in Laguna Beach, CA. Arrangements entrusted to: Daniels Family Funeral Services 4310 Sara Road SE Rio Rancho, New Mexico 87124 (505) 892-9920