Frederick Moeller

Moeller, Frederick WilliamFrederick William Moeller, aged 92, passed away May 22, 2013, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was born January 9, 1921, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the son of the late Fred J. Moeller and Anna Jilge Moeller, pioneer settlers in Oklahoma. He was a graduate of Capitol Hill High School in Oklahoma City and Southwestern State University in Weatherford, Oklahoma. He received a Master's Degree in music from Sul Ross State College in Alpine, Texas. An outstanding musician, Frederick was an accomplished trumpet player, and as a ninth grader won the high school gold medal in music at Capitol Hill High School. In addition, he was an outstanding violinist in the orchestra at Capitol Hill, and when the director needed a cello player, he moved Frederick to the cello which he quickly mastered. At Capitol Hill he was also an outstanding track athlete, winning many gold medals. Frederick attended Southwestern College in Weatherford on a full music scholarship. While at Southwestern, Frederick fell in love with his future wife Georgia Barr who played snare drum in the college band. Frederick loved to recount the moment he walked into the band room and his eyes first fell on the beautiful black-haired, sparkly-eyed girl in the percussion section. They were married in August of 1941, and in August of 2011 they celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in the midst of children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. When his beloved wife Georgia, who had adored and raised roses, passed away in 2012, every day during summer Frederick cut a fresh rose from their garden and placed it in a small vase next to a picture of the eighteen year-old girl he had fallen in love with. In December of 1941, while Frederick and Georgia were still in college, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Frederick auditioned for the Army Air Corps Band at Perrin Field, Texas, and won the first chair spot against professional trumpet players from all over the nation. General Hap Arnold appointed Frederick as his personal bugler. In addition, Frederick met members of and played with many of the famous "Big Bands" of World War II. Still an outstanding athlete, while in the Army Air Corps, Frederick five times consecutively won the highest Army Air Corps physical fitness award as well as numerous awards in gymnastic competitions while in the service. He excelled at the high bar and parallel bars. Frederick and Georgia's first daughter, Linda Ann, was born in 1942, and daughters Lana Frederica and Diana Lee were born at Perrin Field. Following the war, Frederick taught band and physical education in the Oklahoma public schools. He invented and made special training equipment for physical fitness that he himself welded. He taught hundreds of young people who went on to attend college and become successful adults. He later moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he was director of the American Red Cross for the state of New Mexico and the Navajo Nation. He was a member of Rotary and in his Albuquerque chapter started a touring Rotary band. Among Frederick's greatest joys was his family. He was enormously proud of his daughters', his grandchildren's, and great grandchildren's accomplishments. One of the greatest gifts he gave his daughters was believing in them and instilling in them the understanding that girls could do anything. He gave them courage and taught them how to ride horses, shoot a gun, how to swim and how to save lives, how to run track, while at the same time teaching them to play musical instruments and appreciate the beauty, complexity, and joy of music. When his grandchildren entered elementary school and there was no band in their school, Frederick started a band in their school for the benefit of all the children. He is survived by his daughters Linda Ramsey of Las Vegas, Nevada, Lana Harrigan and husband Ray of Albuquerque, and Diana Melendres and husband Art of Albuquerque, nine beloved grandchildren, their spouses, thirteen great grandchildren, and his brother Marion of Mannford, Oklahoma, and his sister Juanita Smotherman of Tyler, Texas, and their spouses. Frederick was preceded in death by his wife Georgia, his parents, brother Wesley, sisters Frieda Moeller and Esther Shadoan, and his talented musician son-in-law Scott Ramsey. Frederick will be deeply missed by countless friends, former students, and family. Services were held at Canterbury Episcopal Chapel in Albuquerque and burial will be in the Barr family plot in Gage, Oklahoma, next to his beloved wife. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Red Cross of Oklahoma for tornado victims.