Ronald Walker Moss

Ronald/Ronny/Ron came into this world on August 18, 1955, the son of Polly and Jack Moss and little brother of Bill Moss. Growing up in Wichita Falls, TX, he was raised on family, God and country and was surrounded by grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who were more like brothers and sisters. Days were spent hanging out at Fain Pool (where he was the 8 year old swim champ), attending church and Boy Scout camps (he went to two National Jamborees), playing the tuba, mowing lawns, picking cotton at Doc's farm, going to state in doubles tennis and baseball (as a catcher) at Rider High, and spending many, many hours at the Christian Church learning about and praising Jesus. Family summer road trip vacations included destinations like the World's Fair, Disneyland, all the Major League baseball parks, the National Parks, Civil War battlefields, and lots of fire musters. Probably won't surprise you that Ronny did try to make change in the donation plate one time, and he did get an "x" in conduct from Mrs. McCartney in 2nd grade for talking too much!
At Texas Christian University, Ron was a cheerleader (the football teams record during that time was 2 wins and 29 losses), a co-founder of the Student Foundation, and Journalism Student of the Year. He received both his Bachelor's (1977) and Master's (1983) degrees from TCU. Learning was a life-long passion for Ron, and later in life he pursued and (after 10 years of tuition!) received a Doctor of Education degree from the University of North Texas in 2005 where he was Doctoral Student of the Year.
Ron's desire to help high school students find the "right college fit" led him to a career in college admissions and counseling. He started as the Director of Freshman Admission at TCU, was Rice University's Director of Admission, and then went to Southern Methodist University as Dean of Undergraduate Admission and Executive Director of Enrollment Services. During these years he was active in many state and national professional organizations where he served in numerous leadership and advisory positions. But his biggest joy of his professional career came in 2011 when Prestonwood Christian Academy hired him to love on those high school students and their families and be their counselor and college placement advisor. Words cannot express what it meant for Ron to have the opportunity to pour into those young people academically and spiritually and help them "navigate the noise" of the world and be their best selves! It was the icing on the cake as he entered retirement where he still was doing college counseling with a few private clients.
God and Jesus always came first for Ron, then family above all else. Deb and Ron met through the college admissions profession and dated long distance for two years between Houston and Peoria, IL (Deb worked for Bradley University) with long-distance phone calls and snail mail as their only communication between plane tickets. They celebrated their forever love on July 7, 1984 vowing to be together "in all that we shall become." It was a match made in heaven with more merry-memory-making than can ever be recorded.
John's arrival in 1988 and Ben's in 1990 completed their family tree.
Ron scheduled his work responsibilities around the boys' activities - he was always there for what was important to them. He loved volunteering and attending events at Kent, Blalack, and Creekview, coaching John's baseball and Ben's soccer teams, being a part of both boys' journey to earning their rank of Eagle Scout (as Ron had achieved in 1968 and joining the "Eagle's Nest" with their Uncle Bill and Grandpa Jack), hanging out with their friends in the living room or in the pool, sharing their faith journeys, family trips (to Hawaii, Illinois, New York City, Hilton Head, Junior Miss Pageants, Point Beach State Park), weekends at Baylor and Oklahoma State taking every day as a new opportunity to be with and pour into these precious young men. And then he got to love on his sweet daughters-in-law, Chelsi and Charlotte, followed by four more boys – Lincoln, Landon, Brighton, and Asher. His heart was so full!
Ron loved Stars hockey games, musicals, concerts, dancing, movies, 7-Eleven and III Forks, Elton John and Andrea Bocelli, grilling ribs with his secret sauce, Buc-ee's, Eddie Bauer, TEMU, Diet Dr. Pepper, deviled eggs, and pimento cheese. He was an avid reader and journal writer. He loved to travel the world, and he loved doing his morning devotionals at home on Pop's Porch. He loved hanging out with his Clark and Moss cousins and Deb's 96 year old dad. He loved to wave to people he didn't know. He never met a stranger. He loved the Middle Teton. He loved Young Life and pouring into young lives. He loved his Branch Church "family" and his Elara Caring and UT Southwestern cancer treatment "families." Each day he loved to say, "In the morning " to which Deb would reply, "give me Jesus." He was a "Noticer" of people and of pennies that he found on the ground that he saw as messages from above. He was a mighty warrior as he battled so many major medical issues throughout his life, especially these past three years.
And he is now healthy and whole and in the radiant presence of our Lord and Savior.
Deb found this in Ron's journals: "My deepest thanks to all for making mine a joy-filled life." Thank you, Angel Army, for loving on him. We love each of you! Amen.
DONATIONS IN RON' S MEMORY CAN BE MADE TO THESE CAUSES SO NEAR AND DEAR TO HIS HEART:
Ron Moss AMI College Student Mission Trip Fund https://ppay.co/svsOT6AUDA0
By mail:
Antioch Ministries International
5023 Trail Lake Drive
Fort Worth, TX 76133
Made payable to: "AMI-FW' with "Ron Moss Fund" noted in memo section
Ron & Deb Moss Kingdom Builders Scholarship North American Coalition for Christian Admissions Professionals https://tinyurl.com/2dqah7vg
By mail:
NACCAP
5301 North Mishler Road
Huntington, IN 46750
Made payable to: "NACCAP" with "Ron & Deb Moss Scholarship" noted in memo section.