The pandemic has made death a constant in our daily lives this year and lately, escalating through the holiday season, yet the
pervasiveness hasn’t made the loss of loved ones any easier; and nothing could have ever prepared us for the sudden and tragic loss of one so young as Alex Moshier, who died in an accident on December 7th in the 29th year of his life.
Alex was one of Hampton’s sons – in every sense of the word. He was raised here, as were his parents, Debra (Schenk) and Jack Moshier, his aunts, Judith and Christine, and his uncle Richard. His grandparents, Barbara and Dick, Betty and Norm, were our neighbors.
Growing up along the Little River, surrounded with woods and farmlands, inspired Alex’s passion for and deep understanding of the natural world. Alex loved to fish, particularly ice-fishing, planning adventures for himself and his companions – most recently for the Belgrade Lakes — stocking his sled and preparing his equipment. Alex loved to hunt, especially with his Uncle Richard and multitude of friends, rising early for turkey and deer during the season. His natural skills and inherited traits, coupled with lessons learned from his uncle and his grandfather – avid outdoorsmen — assured his success on all of these excursions. Alex loved to hike. He completed an expedition on the Appalachian Trail in 2014, finishing the thru-hike on his own under his trail name “Burn”. Alex loved biking. He was extremely skilled, both as a mountain and a BMX biker. He created several tracks around his house when he was young, including an incredible jump he jokingly called “The Big Kahuna”, and as an adult he enjoyed exploring places, near and far, on mountain bike trips with friends and relatives.
With this resume, one could correctly assume that a desk in an office would not suit Alex. He worked seasonally for the State Park Division of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection at Salt Rock State Park, Quaddick State Park, Natchaug State Forest, and Mashamoquet Brook State Park. In 2012 and 2013, Alex was a DEEP Seasonal Wildfire Technician, joining the Connecticut Wildfire Crew as a Wildland Firefighter, Type II Chainsaw Operator, Faller Class B, and battling a 30,000-acre wildfire in Baie-Comeau, Quebec. The following year, he was with a 20-person crew fighting a fire in George Washington National Park in Virginia. He also worked for a number of tree companies.
His surroundings also inspired another one of Alex’s passions – art. Everything was an opportunity to create: elevating trucks and tractors with a stroke of his paint brush, designing and tending and expanding his garden, painting scenes on chainsaw blades and canoe paddles. Alex constructed a wooden book consisting of his signature illustrations, and designed signs for his family’s “Bright Acres Farm”. Graduating in 2013 from Eastern Connecticut State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Visual Arts, Alex’s art has been exhibited at ECSU, the John Slade Ely House Center for Contemporary Art in New Haven, The Akus Gallery in Willimantic, The Empty Spaces Project in Putnam, a gallery show at Manchester Community College where he won an award for one of his sculptures, and most recently at My Windham Project in Willimantic.
But beyond all of his artistry and creativity, his skills and his knowledge, his sense of adventure, Alex will be remembered by all who knew him for his character. His generosity and his gentleness, his sensitivity and his willingness to help people, his friendliness and his sense of humor. The pandemic has made it so difficult for those who mourn, precluding Church services, the public outpouring of support, the communal manifestation of a shared grief. Yet as one Hampton family expressed so perfectly to his on Alex’s tribute wall – “Our entire little town is grieving this loss with you. Alex will always have a very special and unforgettable place in our hearts