Re: [Leica] Roy Moss

["Seth Rosner" <sethrosner1@msn.com>]

I came back on list simply to share with you some thoughts on the passing of
a good friend, wonderful, bright, cantankerous and even sometimes lovable
General Roy Moss.

Though I've belonged to LHSA for some 30 years, I was a member only for the
publications. Then, as some of you will remember, in a short series of
articles in VIEWFINDER magazine, I disagree with Erwin Puts' evaluation of
the 50/2 Summicrons for M cameras. Submission of my first manuscript to Roy,
who was then editor of VIEWFINDER, signaled the beginning of an
all-too-short but very close friendship.

I attended my first LHSA annual meeting in Boston in October 2000 where for
the first time I met Roy and a truly good bunch of guys and gals. I even got
lucky and won one of the annual dinner raffle prizes, a Digilux camera.

Two American Bar Association meetings took me to Charleston, SC and each
time I called Roy to say I would be in town there was the unfailing: don't
forget, we have to get together. Whether we strolled through the parks, had
a bite of lunch, walked along the seawall or watched preparations for the St
Patrick's Day Parade, he had a IIIf with 50/3,5 Elmar or his M3 with 50
Rigid Summicron, always talking about how the negative image would look
under the redlight, how composition is affected by so many factors, almost
always smiling unless some small thing vexed him when he would turn Marine
Corps General officer.

The love of his life was not the Marine Corps but his wife Betty who, as
most of you know, had been ill for a long time, dying only weeks before
Roy's death. Together they fought her illness and I suspect that it took
much more out of Roy than his Vietnam tours.
The official cause of death was heart attack; I suppose that would cover
dying of a broken heart.

It was Roy who two years ago asked me if he could suggest my nomination to
the LHSA Board. Given my law practice and other public service commitments I
said I didn't think so but it turned out to be impossible to say no to this
guy.

Those of you on this list who knew him were blessed with friendship of a
very special man. He loved Leicas, the gear, the history and the lore. Most
of all, he loved making fine images and crafting from the negatives
exquisite prints. He even taught photography classes in Charleston and was
excited about imbuing youngsters with the excitement of the photographic
image.

When I stared at this screen last week and learned the news, I found the
screen going soft with the wetness in my eyes.

Goodbye, dear friend; I know you've gone looking for your Betty.

Seth         LaK 9
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