Richard P. Jr and Judith A. Mosser

Dick and Judy passed away peacefully on January 29th and January 30th, 2024, respectively, at their home in Tucson, Arizona. Dick battled congestive heart failure for many years, and Judy was diagnosed with lung cancer just a few months prior to her passing. Dick and Judy were preceded in death by their son Richard “Rick" Mosser III, Dick’s parents, his sister Kay Wolf, his brother Lee Mosser, Judy’s parents, and her brother, Billy Bennett. Dick and Judy are survived by their two children: Jeffery Mosser and Kelli Hudelson, three grandchildren: Jake, Will, and Emma, Dick’s siblings: Steve, Paul, Donn, Ty Hoffman, Jody, and Mary Linda Ormiston, and Judy’s siblings: Tom Bennett and John Ralph Bennett. 

 Dick and Judy met in 1961 by chance at a picnic in Casper, Wyoming. They instantly fell in love and married three weeks later. They were together for 63 beautiful years. During their marriage, they lived in many different states, including Wyoming, Washington, California, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Arizona.

 Dick was born in Ashland, Ohio, in 1939 and lived there with his mother for many years. Before his senior year of high school, he moved to Casper, Wyoming, to live with his dad. After graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served as a radar technician for over three years. While stationed on the U.S.S. Hanson, he was awarded medals including a Good Conduct medal. After the Navy, he entered the University of Wyoming and joined the Phi Kappa Phi and Sigma Tau Honor Societies, earning a Bachelor of Science degree with honors in 1967, followed by a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering at UCLA in 1970. Additionally, he completed the Engineering Executive Program at UCLA in 1985. He loved his craft and enjoyed sharing his wisdom. For those who knew Dick, to bestow his knowledge was the core of who he was. He worked for a few years as a part-time engineering professor at the California State University at Northridge.

 Judy was born in 1939 and was raised on a ranch near Laramie, Wyoming. She lived between the ranch, Medicine Bow, and Laramie, where she worked part-time in a soda shop serving ice cream treats. After graduating high school, she studied and became an X-ray technician. During her training, the doctors said Judy was one of the best techs they had seen. She excelled at her classes and training.

 After marrying Dick, Judy was a homemaker during their early years of marriage. After staying home to raise their children, Judy eventually joined Dick in the workforce at Hughes Aircraft Company by becoming an Executive Secretary earning high praise. Having only one car, they commuted together to work every day. They both were employed by Hughes Aircraft for decades. When Hughes was bought out by Raytheon, Dick and Judy followed the new company to Tucson, Arizona, in 1994. Upon official retirement, Dick continued working as a contractor for several more years, sharing his expertise with his industry. During Dick’s tenure at McDonnell Douglas, Hughes and Raytheon, he received many promotions and accolades as Chief Scientist and Senior Electrical Engineer while heading many highly specialized, and at times top secret, projects, including the Minuteman Missile, the Phoenix Missile, and the SDI (“Star Wars”) program. 

 In retirement, Dick researched his family history and published a Mosser family genealogy book. Judy sewed many quilts, read, and loved working on puzzles. Both Dick and Judy enjoyed collecting Native American art and made endless trips to kachina stores. They were devoted parents, grandparents, an uncle, a brother, a sister, and an aunt. It was usual for Judy and Dick to connect with their grandchildren, nieces, and nephews by playing on the floor with them, creating stories with action figures, coloring, and reading bedtime stories. During many family reunions, “Cereal Night” became the norm, in which an impromptu bowl of cereal became the standard way to close out the fun night. Dick loved to entertain his family with magic tricks or mind-reading games such as “Smell the Broom.” Some of the most fun and memorable moments were during family game nights with stiff competition playing “Farkle” or “Dump on Your Neighbor.” Laughs, love, and wisdom were common at game nights. Whatever was happening, Dick and Judy always showed up because they knew family was at the heart of it all. 

 During their life together, they had a profound love for one another. They were rarely separated and often held hands. Never wanting to be apart, they left this Earth within a day of each other. They had expressed wishes to be put to rest where their love story began 63 years earlier at that picnic in Casper, Wyoming. They will have a private celebration of life on July 9th, 2024, where they will be interred at Highland Cementary with their beloved son, Rick. They will forever be in our hearts.

 In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the American Heart Association or the American Cancer Society or planting a memorial tree in memory of Richard and Judith Mosser.