Surrounded by family, Frederick William Moxley passed from this life on Feb. 8.
Full of curiosity and a drive to live life to the fullest, Fred was a true “Renaissance man” and an exemplar of his generation.
Born on May 15, 1922, and raised in Cos Cob. He was the son of the late William and Marjorie Moxley. Fred grew up at a time when he looked forward to riding the trolley to see movies at the Pickwick Theatre, witnessed Sinawoy Road being paved with concrete, and the building of the Mianus River dam. As a child, he and his family would camp all summer on Great Island (off Todd’s Point) and sail on Long Island Sound.
His love of sailing continued throughout his life. He raced sailboats at Greenwich Point, led the Greenwich Sea Scouts on sailing trips, and he later built and raced DN ice boats. He served as First Commodore at the Cos Cob Harbor Boat Club, as well as secretary of the Westchester Ice Sailing Club. Along with sailing and camping, Fred’s hobbies included photography, flying RC model airplanes, and playing the Hammond organ.
After graduating from Greenwich High School in 1940, Fred studied electrical engineering at Purdue University. He served in the US Navy (1942-1946) as an electrical engineer aboard the USS Chester, and took part in the battles at Tarawa, Iwo Jima, and the Marshall Islands Campaigns.
In 1947, Fred married the love of his life, Marion Anderson, at St. Andrew’s Church, in Kent. He built their first home in Cos Cob, where they raised their two children, Richard (b. 1948) and Susan (b. 1955). For 40 years, Fred worked as an electrical foreman for Port Chester Electrical Co., where he oversaw the electrical installation for commercial buildings such as IBM Corp. headquarters (Armonk, NY), and Xerox Corp. headquarters (Stamford).
Fred and Marion built a summer house on Cape Cod that they enjoyed for many years. After getting his pilot’s license, Fred would fly his Cessna plane to Cape Cod, New England and along the Atlantic Seaboard.
After Fred retired, he and Marion moved to South Carolina where they lived for 28 years. Never one to sit still for too long, Fred built two more homes, and enjoyed crabbing, shrimping, golf, and volunteering in the local community. Always keen to keep up with the latest technology, Fred could be found tinkering with his computers right up to the end of his life.
In 2006, Fred and Marion moved to Midlothian, VA to be closer to their children, and enjoy the company of their grandchildren and great–grandchildren. Fred loved the community, and his new neighbors, who honored him with a parade on his 99th birthday.
A devoted husband and father, Fred is survived by his wife, Marion, his children Richard, and Susan, his son-in-law Mark; grandchildren, Geoffrey (Elynor) and Benjamin (Tarra); and great-grand children, Margaret, Emmett and Ronia. He also leaves behind his many nieces, nephews, and their families.
He was predeceased by his brother Richard J. Moxley, sister Elizabeth Fleming, and daughter-in-law Maxine Moxley.
A memorial service will be planned at a future date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Chesterfield Fire Station 5 (Attention: CARES), P.O. Box 40, Chesterfield, VA 23832.
