Robert Lancaster Williams Moss
REMEMBRANCESFrank Ward remembers: I am grieved to report the death of our dear friend and classmate, Bob Moss. In November, Bob was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, which took his life on January 2, 2021. After a long and successful career as a city planner and urban developer in both Maryland and Dallas, in 2014, Bob moved with his wife, Marguerite, to Raleigh, and settled in the house where she had grown up. Bob never lost his extraordinary combination of equable temperament, beguiling storytelling, and scintillating intellect, characteristics that resulted in many more friends and admirers in his new location. In addition to Marguerite, Bob is survived by his much loved daughters, Dorothy and Lucile, and their families. Letters of condolence may be directed to:
Marguerite Moss
1000 Harvey St.
Raleigh, North Carolina 27607
OBITUARY
Robert Lancaster Williams Moss’ life on earth ended January 2, 2021 surrounded by his beloved wife and two daughters in Raleigh, NC after a recent diagnosis of brain cancer. He was born May 16, 1942 in Baltimore, Maryland. Mr. Moss was the son of the late Ambler Holmes Moss and Dorothea Dandridge Williams Moss Garrett. He is a member of Christ Church Raleigh and for four decades was a member of Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Dallas.
Mr. Moss graduated from the Gilman School in Baltimore, where he was the recipient of the Fisher Medallion, the school’s highest student honor. He was a 1965 graduate of Yale University, with a degree in political science, and earned a Master’s Degree in City Planning from the Yale School of Art and Architecture in 1967. He served as a Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps Reserve.
Mr. Moss began his career with the Rouse Company, where he contributed to the land development for the 16,000 acre new town of Columbia, Maryland. For more than 30 years, he planned and developed large-mixed use communities and catalytic redevelopment projects in and around Dallas, Texas. His efforts in the creation of the Flower Mound new community, the redevelopment of Cityplace commercial district, the redevelopment of the University of Dallas, and repurposing of historic buildings were recognized by the Urban Land Institute and other leading organizations. Mr. Moss also served as president and chief executive officer of the City of Dallas Business Development Corporation.
Mr. Moss had a vital interest in using real estate development to enhance the endowment of educational institutions, including Yale University and the University of Texas systems. He was committed to racial and economic equity and was recognized for his development of a unique approach to engage stakeholders in future planning. Throughout his career he was known for his collaborative spirit and visionary approach to urban planning and community building.
After his career in urban planning and development, Mr. Moss derived great pleasure from tutoring students at Dallas College, Brookhaven Campus and when he moved to Raleigh at Wake Technical Community College and North Carolina State University. He served on the board of the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture, and as President of the Yale Club of Dallas. He was vice president of the Friends of the State Archives of North Carolina and a member of the Raleigh History Club. He was gracious, grateful, and kind to everyone he encountered. His greatest legacy was his boundless joy and the deep love he gave to his friends and family.
Mr. Moss is survived by his wife of fifty years, Marguerite McPheeters McKee Moss; his two daughters, Dorothy Dandridge Moss Williams, married to Stockton Williams of Washington, D.C. and Lucile McKee Moss Meyer, married to Edward Meyer of New York, New York; and four grandchildren, James Stockton Williams, Lucile Lowry Williams, Benjamin Robert Thomas Meyer, and Ella Marguerite Meyer; and a brother, The Honorable Ambler Holmes Moss, Jr. and his wife, Serena Wells Moss of Coral Gables, Florida.
Burial and memorial services are private.
Memorial donations may be made in honor of Mr. Moss to The Smithsonian Institution: https://giving.si.edu/donate-now, or the Classical Station / WCPE: https://theclassicalstation.org
Arrangements by Brown-Wynne, Saint Mary’s St., Raleigh, NC.