OBITUARY Charles A MOSS Jr. September 16, 1929 – November 23, 2018 Charles “Charlie” Albert Moss, Jr., age 89 of Birmingham, passed away on Friday, November 23, 2018. He was born in Spartanburg, S.C. on September 16, 1929, the son of the late Charles A. Moss and Jessie M. Moss. The family moved to Gastonia, N.C. where he attended schools, graduating from Gastonia High School in 1947.
He enrolled in the School of Architecture at North Carolina State University, where he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity and received his Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1956. In 1952 he interrupted his schooling to serve in the United States Army during the Korean Conflict and, after Basic Training at Fort Jackson, S.C., he was in charge of 29th (506th) Regimental Training Section. With an honorable discharge, he returned to N.C. State to complete his final studies.
During this time he participated in a Raleigh Little Theater production of “Green Grows the Lilacs” (Oklahoma) where he met Adele Hicks of Raleigh who was the music director. They were married June 21, 1957. They moved to Birmingham, AL where Charles was employed with Caldwell & Harmon, Architects.
The firm grew with a name change to Harmon & Moss, Architects. In 1982 the firm became Moss & Associates, Architects, Inc. Among the projects that Charles was involved with were the Palisades Shopping Center, the AmSouth Independent Plaza Building and The Harbert Center in Birmingham, a unique building for many civic clubs in the Birmingham area. He was the Architect for numerous libraries over the state including The Alabama Public Library Service Headquarters in Montgomery and the first nationally designed library building for the blind and physically handicapped also in Montgomery.
He worked closely with the Network Library Service of the Library of Congress and was asked to help libraries in other states to plan new libraries for the handicapped. He wrote the pamphlet “Planning Barrier Free Libraries” in 1981 which was sent to libraries nationwide. He worked on projects at the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind in Talladega including its Chapel, Anne Sullivan Learning Center and renovations to the Jemison/Purefoy Residence.
One of his favorite projects was the design and building of the campus for the Joseph S. Bruno Montessori Academy. He also was the architect for the renovation of Graymont School for headquarters of JCCEO, the Jefferson County Nursing Home at Ketona and many residences in Birmingham and throughout the state. Since coming to Alabama, he has been involved with the American Institute of Architects.
He held many offices and was president of both the Birmingham Chapter and the Alabama Council of the AIA. He was also a founding member in 1983 of the Alabama Architectural Foundation and was its president from 1998-2001. He presented to the Foundation a plan for writing a book on architecture in Alabama that would make the public more aware of their surroundings and heritage and that it would be a reference book for all the schools.
The Foundation published Alabama Architecture: Looking at Building and Place in 2001. He has made many talks over the state about this book to civic clubs, garden club and study groups. He has worked with many companies, corporations and foundations in Alabama placing these books in all the libraries of the state’s junior, middle and senior high schools.
He became the first Executive Director of the Alabama Architectural Foundation in 2006 and continued with a recent publication of Community in Alabama: Architecture for Living Together. A member of Independent Presbyterian Church he served as a Deacon and an Elder and president of the Congregation. In addition to the many committees he has served on, he was a soloist in the choir, a Sunday school teacher and a member of the STAIR program, tutoring 2nd graders in reading.
With the Choir Master and Organist, he helped in forming the Religious Arts Festival in 1974 and served on its committee until 1999. Charles was always active in civic organizations including the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce serving on the president’s committee 1962- 1968. He was featured in the April 1964 Chamber’s magazine article “Young Man Going Places”.
He was in several plays at Town and Gown Theater under the direction of the late James Hatcher and he also worked with Irving Stern in forming the Jewish Center Players designing and construction its first flats and stage sets. He became a member of the Birmingham Opera chorus performing in several productions. His interest in the arts expanded when he became a member of the Birmingham Festival of Arts and was designing the setting and booths for several International Fairs and was a Board Member from 1960- 1987.
He joined the Birmingham Symphony Association in 1970 and was a Board Member 1966 – 1981. During this time the name was changed to the Alabama Symphony Association. Charles formed the first Men’s Committee of the Association and served as president for two years.
He was a member of the Board of the Alabama Advisory Council on Libraries 1981-1984, a delegate to the Alabama Governor’s Conference on Library and Informational Services in 1978 and a member of the Advisory Board of the Birmingham Assistance League 1998-2001. Charles joined the Birmingham Rotary Club in 1970 serving on many committees and on the Board of Directors 1987-1988. He believed in the Four-Way test and particularly in the motto of Service above Self.
Upon retirement Charles became a Radio Reader at WBHM on Tuesday mornings and continued with the program as long as his health allowed. Charles is survived by his loving wife of 61 years Adele Hicks Moss; children: Dr. Charles A. Moss, III (Fay) of Nashville, TN, Torrey Moss Munford (Charles) of Richmond, VA and Jordan Harrison Moss of St. Louis, MO; his six grandchildren Charles “Chad” Moss, IV, MaryLauren Moss, Torrey Blair Munford, Thomas Broun Munford, Virginia Adele Moss and Jordan Harrison Moss, Jr. A Memorial Service will be held in the Chapel of Independent Presbyterian Church on Wednesday, November 28, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. with visitation to follow the service. Memorials in memory of Charles may be made to Independent Presbyterian Church: Music and Fine Arts, STAIR, Inc., 3100 Highland Ave.
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