Cecil R. Moss, 94, of Richland, passed away to be with his Lord and Savior on March 22, 2007.

Cecil was born Arkansas in 1912, one of 13 children. Cecil’s parents moved the family to California when he was 13, where he attended school in Escondido until he was 17 and they moved back to Oklahoma.

Cecil met Virgie “Lillie” Tillman and after a seven-year courtship married on May 30, 1937. Cecil graduated from Northeastern in Talequah, OK with a teaching degree in 1940 and taught grades 1-8 in Oklahoma until 1944. After a short stint with Dupont in Oklahoma as an auxiliary policeman, Cecil moved to Richland, working in a similar capacity with Dupont. In Oct. 1944 Lillie followed with their two young children and another on the way. What they thought would be a temporary move became their home for the rest of Cecil’s life. Cecil gained employment in 1946 at Hanford, working for GE and Douglas United Nuclear as a reactor operator with his last assignment at the N reactor. Cecil retired in 1977 but returned to work as an escort for the next five years.

Cecil enjoyed outdoor activities such as gardening and camping and was an avid fisherman. He was an “expert”, fishing the potholes and especially Lake O’Sullivan. Some of his greatest fishing stories were of fishing the streams in Yakutat, Alaska for salmon and avoiding bears.

He is survived by his loving wife of almost 70 years, Lillie; daughters Leota of Lynnwood and Verbie of Sequim; five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his son, Tilman, in 2004 and by his grandson, Randy, in 2006.

Cecil will be remembered as a very outgoing person and one who never met a stranger. He could and would talk to anyone and found the best in every person. He will also be remembered as a devout Christian and an active member of Richland Baptist Church.

A graveside service will be held at 10:00 AM Monday, March 26, 2007 at Sunset Memorial Gardens, Richland, followed by a service of remembrance at Richland Baptist Church on George Washington Way at 11:00 AM.

In remembrance, donations would be appreciated to Hospice at Tri-Cities Chaplaincy, 2108 W. Entiat, Kennewick, WA 99336.

Fisherman’s Prayer

God, grant that I may live to fish until my dying day – and when it comes to my last cast, I then most humbly pray – When in the Lord’s safe landing net I’m peacefully asleep, That in His mercy I be judged Big enough to keep.