Rudolph Moch

Rudolph (Rudy) Moch was born on August 18th, 1937 in Shreveport, Louisiana. He was the 7th child of William McKinley Sr. and Eleanor Brown Moch. In 1940, Rudy’s mother died in childbirth with the 8th child (Laura). In lieu of daycare, Rudy started first grade at the tender age of 3. He stayed there for 4 years, until his very attached first grade teacher was persuaded to promote him to second grade. Rudy was baptized at an early age at Williams C.M.E. Church. He graduated Booker T. Washington High School in 1956. He attended Southern University for a year before joining the Army and serving in Korea.

Back in Shreveport in the early 1960s, Rudy worked for his father’s business, Moch Brothers Home Decorating, and sold insurance. In June 1963, he was introduced to Evelyn Hudson through his cousin, Lillian Moch. He and Evelyn were married in September 1963 and headed immediately to live in Chicago. Theirs was a whirlwind romance that became a marriage of over 60 years.

Three of Rudy’s older sisters (Eleanor, Mildred, and Betty) had already moved to Chicago and welcomed him and Evelyn to the city. While there, Rudy and Evelyn had their first child, Debra, who was born in 1964. In the late 1960s, Rudy, Evelyn, and Debra moved to Stockton, CA where Rudy’s fourth sister (Nita) lived and where Rudy and Evelyn’s youngest child, William (Bill) was born in 1969. Once in Stockton, Rudy began his career as a fire protection engineer at companies like ADT and ultimately his own business, Rudy’s Fire & Security. He became an avid golfer, winning local tournaments and introducing neighborhood kids to the game.

By the late 80s, Rudy and Evelyn moved to the DC metro area, where their daughter Debra lived. Rudy worked for Honeywell and eventually worked part-time transporting the elderly. He began to spend more time researching family history with Wanda Moch Jackson and inspired his family to start a family reunion for the descendants of his grandparents, Louis and Relvia Moch, who were both born before the Civil War.

After retiring in 2005, Rudy and Evelyn moved to Charlotte. In 2019, they returned to the DC metro area to be near family. On Tuesday, July 7th, 2026, Rudy was called home leaving a legacy of love, laughter, and ancestral pride. He leaves to cherish his memory, his wife Evelyn; their daughter Debra (Jeffrey Mooney) and son William (Christine Herechski); their grandchildren, Claire and Olivia Mooney; Rudy’s older daughter Angela Allen, her children and grandchildren; in-laws Ervin Brooks, Verton Hudson, and Brenda Pinkney; a host of beloved nieces and nephews (particularly his phone buddies, Kimberly Burton, Michele Grimes, Michael Hooker, Frederick James, and Varon Knox); and scores of dear cousins including his “adopted” big sisters, Dorothy Dell Hills and Lee Cynthia Scott. In his final years, Rudy and Evelyn also found much joy in friendships made at Arbor Crest Senior Living.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to his favorite charity, St. Jude Children’s Research.