Remembrance of the Life of John Moskeland CoL

John Bromley Moskeland was surely the nicest, kindest man we ever knew. Most of us knew John first as Lillian’s husband and Mary Peter Bruce’s brother-in-law. He was quick to make friends, and his Loretto circle expanded rapidly. As long as he could, John attended national Loretto meetings and Community Group 22 gatherings, where he was a valued member. He never lost his kind ways, even in the last days of Alzheimer’s Disease.

John’s life was one of service and of sponsoring equality. He earned a degree in forestry from the University of Washington in Seattle. In his professional life he was an engineer and plant manager for forest products corporations in Washington, Oregon, Alabama, Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana. As a manager, he was known for treating all employees with respect and care. He retired from Louisiana Pacific Plywood Plant but continued to work as a consultant for Georgia Pacific.

Lillian and John had twin sons who lived only a day. Then they had a daughter, Andrea (Cobb) who has made their lives joyful. There are four grandchildren, a great-granddaughter and numerous nieces and nephews. 

On many occasions when John came to a meeting at Loretto, he stayed extra time to work on whatever was needed. He was handy in fixing, building and simply filling in. When he wrote in his co-membership commitment statement that he intended to give of his talents, he was quite serious. He also wrote, “None of us are finished products, and I believe that Loretto will urge me to grow in my faith and spirit.” We who knew him grew because of him.

Along with Lillian, and co-members Gay and Jim Lenox, John began the White Wing Dove Spirituality Retreat Center in Keithville, La. After being active in their parish in Louisiana for all the years they lived there, when the Moskelands moved to Ohio they became members of the Living Beatitudes Community where a memorial service took place May 14.

John’s ashes will be buried in Loretto’s Nature Preserve Cemetery on his birthday, June 8. We are privileged to have known him, and his spirit will remain with us.