Roland Moschner

To his team-mates at Cardinal Mindszenty High School in Dunkirk, NY, he was one of the strongest athletes on the football, basketball or baseball teams. He was persistent and he cared about winning the right way.

To his co-workers at Pasco County (for 30 years) he was fair and just, smart and professional. We (his sons) have been told that he was the best boss/supervisor people ever had.

To his friends, he was kind and thoughtful and he loved to laugh and listen to stories.

To his sons (Thomas and John), he was strict; he led and taught by example. He was diligent, a perfectionist, hard-working, loving and he guided us to be the people we turned out to be.

To his grandchildren, Danielle, Emily, Jack, Alex and Thomas, he was generous. To his great grandchildren, Mischa, Oliver, Lottie and soon Nora Rolanda he will be someone to be admired for his thoughtfulness and caring. He provided help for college, transportation and a secure present and future.

To Nancy Martin, his wife, he was a 24-hour care giver for years. He was loving and tender. He exemplified patience and devotion. He also loved Nancy’s children, Ryan and Kaitlyn.

Roland Moschner, our dad, showed John and I how to conduct ourselves as family men, husbands, fathers and citizens. He taught us how to behave as responsible adults and members of society. We never had a doubt for one moment that he loved us, his family or his adopted country. He was principled, possessed high standards and demanded the best in terms of effort.

Our dad arrived in America on the USS Sturgis as a displaced person with no country of origin due to World War II. He was a refugee at age 7 arriving at Ellis Island from Austria in 1951 with three siblings, Martha, Joseph and Eleanor. His eldest sister, Gisela, arrived in the United States in the mid 1950s. Our dad loved his siblings. He spoke so lovingly of his sister Ellie who tragically died soon after graduating from high school. He admired his brother, Joe, telling us what a strong athlete and leader he was and losing him, also, way too soon. He loved his sister, Gisela, especially her cooking and her warm personality. Martha was his older sister and he always spoke about her warmth and caring. Our dad’s sister, Martha, spoke and visited with our dad as often as she could. Though separated by a thousand miles, our dad loved his sister so much cherishing their phone calls. My brother and I are so thankful for our Aunt Martha, who spoke to our dad on Christmas Eve. We believe that it was his discussion with his last surviving sibling that gave him comfort and peace. Our dad died early Christmas morning.

Through the dedication of his parents, Josef and Maria Moschner of Gottschee (inside Slovenia), he grew into adulthood. He was ready to face challenges (a new language, new

traditions and a new way of life) that he readily conquered. Our dad taught us volumes and we are forever grateful for his love and guidance.

We admire his courage fighting cancer for the past year. He never smoke, drank or experimented with drugs. He lived a clean life and even with a terminal diagnosis of stage four lung cancer, he never complained. He not only taught us how to live correctly but how to die with dignity. We hope we have the courage to make the same decisions in the same way, someday.

I am very grateful to my brother John. He and Bonnie invited our dad to live with them for the final weeks of his life while being treated by Hospice. For that, Colleen, my wife, and I are forever grateful. My dad got to watch hours of football with John and I got to watch our last movie together, It’s A Wonderful Life.

We wish him eternal peace. We know our dad is in heaven, bowling or watching his beloved Buccaneers (or Turner Classic Movies) and sharing spumoni or potica with his parents, his

siblings, Nancy and his favorite singer, Marty Robbins.

We simply love him for yesterday, today and always. Rest in peace.

Love, Thomas and John Moschner