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Clifford R. Moss, Sr.OBITUARY
Aug. 4, 1934 – March 8, 2025
Cliff Moss was born on August 4, 1934, to Hibbert and Sophie Moss in Michigan. Shortly afterwards, the family of five moved to Summit, NJ. Cliff graduated in 1956 from Union College, where he was a member of Delta Chi. He received his Masters Degree from Springfield College in Education and began working for the YMCA. It was at a Y conference that he met the love of his life, Judy Witham. They were married in 1959 and celebrated 63 years of marriage.
Cliff ran the New Britain YMCA’s Holiday Ridge outdoor facility in Farmington from 1969-72. Judy and Cliff directed Camp Berger in Winsted from 1977-87. Cliff and Judy directed Camp Courant from 1988-95.
After Cliff left the Y, he sold encyclopedias while returning to school at Central CT to earn his second Masters Degree in Special Education. He taught in the Hartford School system as a special ed teacher for 25 years. After his retirement, he served as a State of CT surrogate parent. Cliff’s impact on young people, teen counselors, and adults continues to be immeasurable.
Cliff was a die-hard UConn Women’s Basketball fan. A highlight of his many cruise trips with Judy was their trip through the Panama Canal, following the route his Naval Officer father used to escort troops home from WW1.
Cliff was predeceased by his wife Judy and survived by his son C. Roger Moss, Jr. and his wife Kathy O’Donnell-Moss, his daughter Alison Gee and her husband Jeff, his grandchildren: Kaitlyn Moss-Hartmann and her husband Spencer, Kevin Moss and his wife Ashley, Jae, Remy and Audrey Gee, and two great grandchildren: Cole and Salem Moss.
Play ball!
Hartford Yard Goats baseball, Sunday, May 4th, at
1:10 pm vs. Chesapeake Baysox, Baltimore Orioles affiliate
Our local team is the double-a affiliate of the Colorado Rockies.
Tickets are $19.00 per person.
We have reserved a block of 20 tickets in section 107 near home plate
along the first base line. Please advise Ray or Bill as soon as possible of your ticket order, and in
any event, no later than Tuesday, April 1st! Let us know if you are attending with a
guest(s). We will distribute tickets to you (by hard copy or electronically) in advance
of gameday.
Plan on buying lunch or a snack at one of the park’s vendors as well as
slaking your thirst with an enjoyable beverage from a refreshment stand.
Parking at $5.00 per vehicle is available at nearby LAZ parking lots. Go to
the Hartford Yard Goats website to reserve a parking space at a LAZ lot of
your choice, or pay the attendant directly upon entering the lot of your
choice.
Website is www.milb.com/hartford/ballpark/parking-transit.
William Pickens
William James Pickens, Sr. (Bill), a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and community leader, passed away peacefully on Friday, February 7, 2025. He was the beloved husband of Hildagarde Tullulah Pickens, with whom he shared a lifetime of love, faith, and partnership. Born in Greenville, South Carolina, Bill was the firstborn son of Alma Jean Mack and George Pickens. At an early age, his family moved to Beacon, NY, where he attended South Avenue Elementary School and later Beacon High School. A gifted athlete, Bill excelled in basketball throughout high school and college. He earned a degree in Business Administration from the State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill before serving in the U.S. Army for two years. After his honorable discharge, Bill returned to New York and began his distinguished career in banking at Freedom National Bank of Harlem. He later worked at Chase Manhattan Bank on Wall Street before embarking on a groundbreaking journey to advance Black economic empowerment. He played a pivotal role in founding Greensboro National Bank in North Carolina, one of several Black-owned banks where he worked tirelessly to address the financial needs of the Black community. His dedication to economic equity later led him to Burger King Corporation, where he served as Regional Franchise Sales Manager. There, he championed franchise ownership opportunities for Black and Latino entrepreneurs, strategically connecting operators with investors and helping expand the company’s presence along the East Coast. Bill eventually returned to banking, where he continued his commitment to financial empowerment until his retirement. After settling in the Greater Hartford area, Bill remained deeply engaged in community service. He was a proud member of the Old Guard, Inc., served on the Board of the West Hartford Senior Job Bank, and was actively involved with the West Hartford African American Social and Cultural Organization (WHAASCO). He also volunteered as a poll worker at Bloomfield Town Hall. Among his many contributions, he was most proud of his membership at Impact Church International in Hartford, where his faith and love for God remained central to his life. Bill was an avid reader, a natural mentor, and a gifted storyteller. He found immense joy in music, spending time with family, watching sports – especially if his grandsons were playing – and taking long walks at Elizabeth Park. He had a special fondness for spoiling the family dog and engaging in conversations that left lasting impressions. Above all, Bill believed in the importance of being a servant of God and treating others the way one would want to be treated. He was committed to the idea of the pursuit of excellence and always talked about getting an “A” in life. He felt that every day was an opportunity to be better than you were the day before. Bill’s greatest legacy was his family, whom he cherished above all else. He is survived by his loving wife, Tullulah; his son, William James Pickens, Jr. (Pete) of San Francisco, CA; his daughters, Nakia Tullulah Alexander of West Hartford, CT, and Amanda Pickens-Ewell of West Orange, NJ; his treasured grandchildren, August Alexander, Hudson Alexander, Jack Ewell, Genesis Ewell, and Bear Ewell; his sons-in-law, Wes Alexander and Quincy Ewell; his sister, Barbara Spells; his brother, Edward Pickens; his sisters-in-law, Kitrena DuBose Foster and Michelle Pickens; and a host of beloved nieces, nephews, and dear friends. Bill’s unwavering faith, generosity, and dedication to his family and community will live on as his enduring legacy in the countless lives he touched. He will be profoundly missed but forever remembered with love and gratitude. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of William, please visit our floral store.
HOLIDAY LUNCHEON OF THE OLD GUARD, AT THE BACK NINE TAVERN, 245 HARTFORD ROAD, NEW BRITAIN, CT 06053, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11TH, 2024, 11:30 am to 1:30 pm
Members and guests are cordially invited! Holiday music to be performed by the Guitar Duo, Judy Handler and Mark Levesque, known for their holiday music renditions played on the acoustic guitar and mandolin. The setting, music and excellent meal, and most importantly our members and guests create the perfect ambience for a festive occasion.
Trinity v. Wesleyan football game at Trinity in Hartford Saturday, November 9th.
12pm. Please let Ray know of your interest and if you will be inviting a guest(s).
More details to follow.
Thomas F. Mullaney, Jr., 85, of West Hartford, CT, died on Monday, August 26, 2024, from complications after open heart surgery. Born in Chicago in February 1939, the son of Thomas F. Mullaney, Sr. and Elizabeth (Andrews) Mullaney. He is survived by his sister, Harriet of Denver, CO; his son, Thomas M. of New York City, NY; his daughter, Lauren S. of West Hartford, CT; his daughter-in-law, Lori Gordon and his grandson, Maxwell of West Hartford, CT. He also leaves his lady friend, Gene Schaefer Flynn of Evanston, IL. Tom’s wife, Mary Catherine Smith Mullaney, died in 2018.
A Chicago native for almost forty years, Tom was a graduate of Loyola Academy and Beloit College magna cum laude. After college he attended Navy Officer Candidate School and was commissioned an ensign. After a temporary assignment to the USS WASP (CVS18) he was permanently assigned to USS HISSEM (DER400) on which he served as communications officer and operations officer. During his time on HISSEM, the ship was deployed to The Cuban Missile Crisis (Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal), the search for the USS THESHER, and Operation Deepfreeze (Antarctic Service Medal) during which the ship circumnavigated the globe. In 2011 Beloit College bestowed its Distinguished Service Award on Tom.
After the Navy Tom entered Northwestern University as a Woodrow Wilson Fellow and earned a Master’s degree in economics. He then joined The First National Bank of Chicago as a management trainee and worked in the trust department and credit card launch before joining the bond department as a municipal bond underwriter and trader. He worked in the New York City underwriting office and managed the municipal bond division before serving as corporate planner for a year and then managed the public funds division. During this time Tom earned an MBA at the University of Chicago. He had an additional assignment as executive director of the Illinois Fiscal Commission for Governor Bill Thompson. In Chicago he was a member of The Municipal Bond Club, The Bond Club, The Chicago Athletic Association and the Saddle & Cycle Club.
In 1977 he and his family moved to West Hartford and Tom took the position at Hartford National Bank as senior vice president and head of the Bond and Money Market Group responsible for trading, asset and liability management, discount brokerage and government finance & banking. He then became head of the National Banking Division for two years before managing the Investment Services Group consisting of investment management, trust administration, bond department, discount brokerage and government finance & banking eventually for the Shawmut Banks of Connecticut and Massachusetts as executive vice president.
Tom was active in many Hartford area organizations and served as a director of the Connecticut Policy Expenditure Council, Citizens Committee for Effective Government (the Schoen Commission), Hartford Seminary, Greater Hartford Chamber of Commerce, Capitol Housing Corporation (Chairman), Saint Francis Hospital & Medical Center, Connecticut Development Authority (Vice Chairman), The 1892 Club (President), American School for the Deaf (Investment Committee Chair) and a fellow of the American Leadership Forum. He was a long-time treasurer of Riverfront Recapture and twice its Chairman. He was a member of The Hartford Golf Club.
In 1993 he retired early and founded an investment advisory firm which soon became Mullaney, Keating & Wright, Inc. now headquartered in West Hartford.
Nathan has been the Executive Director of the Greater Hartford Community Foundation, Inc. and the Tournament Director of the Travelers Championship, Connecticut’s PGA TOUR event, since 2005. During this time, the tournament has generated more than $30 million for charity and has been recognized by the PGA TOUR for numerous awards. In addition to receiving the “Players Choice” award in 2017 and 2018, the Travelers Championship was named “Tournament of the Year” by the PGA TOUR in 2017 and has now won 14 TOUR awards since 2009. Others include “Most Fan Friendly Event” (2010, 2012, 2017), “Best Title Sponsor Integration” (2009, 2010, 2012), “Best Marketing Program” (2011), “Best Use of Players” (2012), “Best Charity Integration” (2013), “Best Special Event” (2016, when it hosted the Bruce Edwards Foundation Dinner) and “Best Tournament Sales” (2017). He is also a Class ‘A’ member of the PGA of America and an active member of the Connecticut Section of the PGA.
After graduating from Auburn University in 1996 with a degree in Mass Communications, Nathan worked for the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail Academy of Golf as an instructor through 2001 while playing professional golf on various tours throughout the Southeast. He then went to work for the Bruno Event Team from 2001-2004 where he was the Executive Director of The First Tee of Greater Birmingham and also worked on all four major professional golf tours in the United States, including serving as Tournament Director for the Southern Farm Bureau Classic.
Nathan resides in West Hartford, Connecticut, with his wife, Carmen, and their two children.