Glen Moss

When reflecting on the life of Glen Moss, it is easy to see that he was one of the most genuine, gracious, and honest people one could ever meet. He lived his life to encourage and inspire others to be their very best not only through his words but also using his own life as an example. There was no greater gift in Glen’s life than his family, and he just loved being with them even if they were doing nothing at all. Although he accomplished so much of which to be proud, Glen used his time and talents to help those around him in ways both great and small. Deeply loved, he will be forever missed.

The 1950s were a colorful time in American history. Televisions were becoming part of our homes, and with shows like Father Knows Best and I Love Lucy we were certainly introduced to a wide array of family dynamics. Elvis Presley became a household name, and by the end of the decade both Alaska and Hawaii became official states. It was just as this exciting decade was dawning that August and Frances (Stahlbuck) Moss welcomed their son, Glen, into their hearts and home on March 21, 1950. The youngest of three, he was raised in the family home in Port Huron, Michigan, alongside his brothers, Carl and Wayne. Glen spent a lot of time on the lake, which became a lifelong passion. He enjoyed scuba diving, water skiing, boating, and sailing. To support their family his father was a supervisor at Port Huron Paper while his mother was a pharmacist.

Throughout his younger years Glen's parents stressed education. As a result, he attended a local junior college right out of high school. Glen later enrolled at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo with a plan to focus on architecture. In time, he found his passion in the industrial arts. Glen initially earned his bachelor’s degree from Western and later earned a master’s degree from there as well.

Glen was so excited to share his passion with others. He spent 35 years teaching industrial arts for Portage Public Schools. It was easy to see Glen’s dedication to his work as he continually went the extra mile to help his students succeed. Glen found his work so rewarding and truly enjoyed all of his students. A true teacher at heart, he made sure to have his students make projects that were fun and relevant to them.

Life was forever changed for Glen when he met the love of his life. Her name was Kay Julien, and they met on a blind date. Their first date was simply going around to garage sales followed by pizza. From the start Kay recognized that Glen was genuine, nice, and kind. They became good friends and had a long eight year relationship before they were married on September 2, 1989. Kay brought her two children, Angela and V.J., into their marriage, and Glen became a vital part of their lives. He was a gentle presence who instilled in them many of his strong morals and values, always showing them his gentle patience even if it wasn’t always easy.

With his background in industrial arts Glen was very handy around the house. In fact, the house that he and Kay called home was in disarray when they purchased, which would be impossible to tell today. With hard work and vision, they made it into a home. Over the years, Glen and Kay flipped several houses, and as his grandchildren got older he included them in the projects. Even in these projects it was easy to see that Glen was a teacher at heart as he was patient teaching others how to complete various projects on the house. More important than the skills he taught was always the way that Glen instilled in people the confidence they needed to even try. He was always close with his son, and he found such joy in being with his grandchildren, too. More recently, Glen was mentoring a young man from the neighborhood named Carlin. Glen was a strong role model in all things, but he also taught Carlin various skills with tools.

A lover of life, Glen always made the most of every day he was given. He enjoyed cooking, especially mushrooms and meat. He enjoyed a good glass of wine amongst friends and lively discussions and book reviews with his men’s group that met regularly for the past 30 years. He enjoyed watching football and taught Kay to enjoy the game too. Although he was primarily a homebody, Glen and Kay did a bit of traveling including memorable trips to Hawaii and Italy. They also spent time at their winter home in Florida. With a home on Austin Lake, Glen just loved being there. He had several boats over the years, and loved to sail on the lake. In more recent years, Glen became very interested in fishing with family. They often ventured on the Great Lakes or the Detroit River when they wanted some bigger game fish. Glen enjoyed making his own wine, and as someone who was very detail oriented he did it all from picking the grapes to bottling the wine. Of course, he also enjoyed sharing his wine with family and friends. An avid reader, Glen enjoyed Jack Ryan novels and when relaxing he also liked NCIS on television. Very spiritual and always a deep thinker, he regularly meditated.

On May 31, 2018, Glen received a liver transplant, which was the greatest day of his life as it gave him a new lease on life. Sadly, the cancer returned just this past fall, and the fight was too much for Glen to overcome. So blessed, Glen was able to draw his last breath at his beloved home on Austin Lake surrounded by his family.

Kind, steadfast, and resilient, all who knew Glen Moss would agree that he was such a blessing. He was sensitive, never one to pass judgement, and accepting of everyone he met. Glen was someone who could think outside the box, and he was always willing to do the right thing. Although he could be a bit stubborn at times, he also had a fun-loving sense of humor and a quick wit that made him so much fun to be around. An amazing conversationalist, Glen was a stranger to no one and a friend to all. He will never be forgotten.

Glen Moss, Age 69, died peacefully at his home on Thursday January 2, 2020. Glen was preceded in death by his parents and his sister in law. Surviving are his wife, Kay Julien-Moss; children: Angela Landis (Ronnie) V.J. Kline; grandchildren: Ashley (Matt) Pasch, Austin Landis, Ryan Landis ; great-grandchildren: Adalyn Pasch and Pryor Pasch; siblings: Carl (Trisha) Moss, Wayne Moss and 2 nieces. Cremation has taken place. Services will be held at 5 p.m. on Friday, January 10, 2020, at the Betzler Life Story Funeral Home, 6080 Stadium Dr., Kalamazoo, 269-375-2900. A reception with food and drinks will follow in the Life Story Center. Please visit Glen’s personal webpage at www.BetzlerLifeStory.com where you may archive a favorite memory or photo, and sign his online guestbook. Memorial contributions may be made to Community Advocates or Lending Hands.