WILMINGTON — George Vance Moser, Jr., formerly of Ridgewood, New Jersey, Montclair, New Jersey, Quechee, Vermont and Leland, North Carolina passed away in Wilmington, North Carolina on April 18, 2024. His wife of 55 years, Carol, predeceased him.
He is survived by daughters, Jennifer (David) Hunter of Lake Orion, Michigan and Martha Moser of Wilmington, North Carolina; grandchildren, Ellen Paul, Henry Paul, Zachary Hunter, and his brother, John A. Moser of North Kingstown, Rhode Island.
Vance was born in Pasadena, California, grew up in Ridgewood, NJ and attended Ridgewood High School. He participated in the Boy Scouts, earning his Eagle Scout. Prior to his freshman year in college, he was awarded the Medal of Honor for Courage by the National Boy Scout Council, for participating in a lifesaving rescue of a drowning couple during Hurricane Carol. He attended and graduated with a BA from Trinity College. After college Vance joined the Navy and enrolled in the US Navy Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island. Vance became an Intelligence Ensign assigned to SOSUS, the Navy’s secret sound surveillance system and was stationed in numerous locations, included San Salvador of the Bahamas. He married Carol Lee Gower in 1959 while still in the Navy, he was honorably discharged in 1962 from active duty then served in the Navy reserve until 1969. He obtained his MBA from Rutgers in 1969.
In 1962 he and Carol moved to Montclair, NJ and he started his career as a benefit consultant working for Mutual Benefit Life, Coopers and Lybrand and Thomas J. Lipton. He was active in the Montclair community and served as the Township Historian for four years as well as multiple industry and non-profit board positions. He also served as a lay leader within the Episcopal Churches of St. John’s and St. Luke’s. Moving to Vermont in the early 1990’s, he worked for the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center organization from which he retired in 2005. While living in Quechee, Vance and Carol enjoyed being members of the Quechee Club, especially playing golf. Since moving to North Carolina, he was active at St. James Parish Episcopal church as a choir member and a member of the treasury team. He joined the Cape Fear Chorale shortly after moving to Wilmington and performed in his last concert on April 6th. He had a lifelong passion for music and genealogy and published many volumes of information regarding the Moser-Gower family history. He led an active and rewarding life.
A memorial service celebrating Vance’s life is planned for 11:00am Saturday, August 3, 2024, at St. James Parish. The family will receive friends at the church following the service. All are welcome to attend.
Contributions in his name may be made to the Cape Fear Chorale, Inc., PO Box 7893 Wilmington, NC 28406 and to St. James Parish Choir Fund, 25 S. Third St. Wilmington, NC 28401
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