Harold J. Moffie

1928 - 2020

Harold Jay Moffie died September 3, 2020 at his home in Bloomfield. Hal was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, August 31, 1928, to Saul E. Moffie and Ruth D. Epstein. Harold's mother Ruth died less than four months after his birth. Mr. Moffie graduated from Brookline High School and received the George Bradburn Schick Cup the school's highest award for scholarship and athletics. He was voted "Best Running Back" in the history of Brookline High School in 1980. At the age of 16 in the Brookline-Newton 1945 Thanksgiving Day game he punted a football 93 yards – a record that remains in Ripley's Believe it or Not. In 1946, he received a scholarship to Harvard. He graduated in 1950 with an advanced degree in Romance languages. He developed a mastery of the Spanish language that was taught in a department by scholars and former dissenters to Franco's regime in Spain. Mr. Moffie was a 3-year starter in varsity football and baseball at Harvard. In 1948, against Holy Cross he accumulated 165 punt return yards, and took the first play from scrimmage in the Harvard-Yale game for an 80-yard touchdown - feats that remain in the school record book. Mr. Moffie was drafted into the infantry after college and joined the counterintelligence section given his faculty with languages. He was honorably discharged in 1955. Mr. Moffie's father, an architect, inculcated in him a joy of construction, finance, and real estate. In 1972, Hal formed Connecticut Health Facilities [CHF] a company that specialized in the design, construction, and management of long-term care facilities. CHF developed and managed an unmatched level of nursing homes in Connecticut. He was smart, bold, resolute, and managed his company with a generous spirit reflected in the respect, longevity and quality of staff and company performance. In addition to his work at CHF, Mr. Moffie held every elected American Health Care Association (AHCA) position including its presidency. AHCA is a national trade association that represents over 14,000 nursing homes and assisted living facilities. He was an accomplished writer, speaker and few at any professional level wanted to follow him to the lectern after one of his singularly erudite orations. He was selected in 1992 by INC magazine as "Entrepreneur of the Year." Mr. Moffie cherished Yiddishkeit and was instrumental in the development of The Chabad House of Greater Hartford. Although he reveled in the occasional touch of the high and mighty his admiration and respect was far more inclined to the multitude. He was magnanimous and like a knight errant anyone in need became a near immediate recipient of his chivalrous stance. There is a scene in the movie The Right Stuff – ground personnel are rushing with negligible hope to the site of the crash of a fighter jet on the desert floor. Suddenly, one detects movement through the smoke of the wreckage and queries, "Is that a man?" "You're darn right it is." Sic Transit Gloria Mundi. Mr. Moffie was a stunning force in the lives of his family and venerated unconditionally. He is survived by his wife Selma, whom he adored and once described as "the wind under the family's wings," two sons Calvin (Patricia) and Clint, three daughters Celia (Michael Bedus), Carrie Riccio (John), and Cathy DeMio (Richard), fifteen grandchildren and five great grandchildren. Funeral arrangements are private. In lieu of flowers or any like gesture donations may be made to The Chabad House of Greater Hartford 2352 Albany Avenue, West Hartford 06117. For Condolences vist Carmonfuneralhome.com