Paul Robert Moeller

SHARON — Paul Robert “Bob” Moeller died on March 25, 2024, at home at the age of 84.

Bob was born in Alpena, Michigan, the son of the late Lutheran Bishop Paul and Iris (Troyer) Moeller.

Bob graduated in 1957 from Oakwood High School in Dayton, Ohio.

Bob’s family was interested in nature — his mother was a Girl Scout leader. She had a federal permit to collect bird nests that were no longer used by nesting birds. The family helped with this collection which was donated to an educational center. Bob was a Boy Scout and earned his Eagle Scout Badge. In June of 1961, Bob graduated from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, with a degree in biology.

He met his wife Wanda at college, and they were married Aug. 15, 1961, in the Memorial Lutheran Church in Nevada, Iowa.

Bob was hired by the National Audubon Society as a naturalist at Aullwood Audubon Center in Dayton, Ohio, where he led groups of children and adults to explore and study, to appreciate and protect the natural world.

Their son Douglas was born on Nov. 18, 1966, in Ohio.

In Oct. of 1971, Bob, Wanda, and Douglas moved to Sharon when he accepted the position of Director of Sharon Audubon Center, and they lived in the stone cottage on the property until Bob became an Audubon Regional Environmental Educator working with many Audubon groups in our region. During his time as Director of Sharon Audubon, Bob helped develop a Mammal Skull Key which was used to identify mammals found in our area. Bob was the leader in the Sharon area for many ANNUAL CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNTS each Dec. and he was leader for the BREEDING BIRD CENSUS each May for many, many years!

High school and college students were accepted in the Audubon Trainee Program each spring, summer, and fall. Many lives were (and still are) changed as the result of Bob’s mentoring program! Nearly everywhere Bob went, he would be asked questions about natural history, or animals, plants, trees, or weather related topics.

Bob visited all 50 U.S. states! During his years with Audubon, Bob was able to travel to many conferences in the U.S. as well as to be an Audubon Leader for a trip to Africa. Bob was sent to England in 1972 to learn how the British incorporated natural history into their school curriculum. Each trip provided educational experiences for Bob to learn about and appreciate the birds, animals, trees, plants, and people in several areas of our world!

Bob served on Sharon’s Inland/Wetland Commission, Sharon Land Trust, Sharon Ambulance Squad, the Aton Forest Board in Norfolk, and Housatonic Valley Association as a consultant. Bob was an active member of Sharon United Methodist Church.

In the fall of 1987 Bob was elected First Selectman for the Town of Sharon, a position he held for 18 years until his retirement in the fall of 2005. Bob attended most meetings of Sharon’s Boards and Commissions during the years he served in this position and was involved in the renovation of Sharon Center School, the renovation of Sharon Town Hall, as well as the building the Sharon Water Treatment Facility.

Bob’s hobbies were golfing, coaching or attending Doug’s sports, square foot gardening, travel, playing card games or board games with friends, fixing things at home, bird watching, and watching UCONN Men’s and Women’s basketball games.

In 2016 signs of Parkinson’s Disease and Dementia were diagnosed. The challenges Bob faced were met with acceptance and dignity.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Joan Deyoe and her husband Richard. He is survived by his loving wife Wanda of 62 + years, their son, Douglas of Berkeley, California, his brother Ralph Philip (Marcia) of Denver, Colorado, and his sister Mary Benis (Michael) of Columbus, Ohio, as well as several nieces and nephews.

A Celebration of Bob’s Life will be held at a later date.

Memorial contributions in lieu of flowers may be made to:

—SHARON AUDUBON CENTER, 325 Cornwall Bridge Road, Sharon, CT 06069.

—Sharon United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 172, Sharon, CT 06069.

—MICHAEL J. FOX PARKINSON’S RESEARCH FUND Grand Central Station, P.O. Box 4777, NY, NY 10163-4777.

Latest News

A scenic 32-mile loop through Litchfield County

Whenever I need to get a quick but scenic bicycle ride but don’t have time to organize a group ride that involves driving to a meeting point, I just turn right out of my driveway. That begins a 32-mile loop through some of the prettiest scenery in northern Litchfield County.

I ride south on Undermountain Road (Route 41 South) into Salisbury and turn right on Main Street (Route 44 West). If I’m meeting friends, we gather at the parking area on the west side of Salisbury Town Hall where parking is never a problem.

Keep ReadingShow less
Biking Ancramdale to Copake

This is a lovely ride that loops from Ancramdale north to Copake and back. At just over 23 miles and about 1,300 feet of elevation gain, it’s a perfect route for intermediate recreational riders and takes about two hours to complete. It’s entirely on quiet roads with little traffic, winding through rolling hills, open countryside, picturesque farms and several lakes.

Along the way, you’ll pass a couple of farmstands that are worth a quick visit. There is only one hill that might be described as steep, but it is quite short — probably less than a quarter-mile.

Keep ReadingShow less
Taking on Tanglewood

Aerial view of The Shed at Tanglewood in Lenox, Mass.

Provided

Now is the perfect time to plan ahead for symphonic music this summer at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts. Here are a few highlights from the classical programming.

Saturday, July 5: Shed Opening Night at 8 p.m. Andris Nelsons conducts the Boston Symphony Orchestra as Daniil Trifonov plays piano in an All-Rachmaninoff program. The Piano Concerto No. 3 was completed in 1909 and was written specifically to be debuted in the composer’s American tour, at another time of unrest and upheaval in Russia. Trifonev is well-equipped to take on what is considered among the most technically difficult piano pieces. This program also includes Symphonic Dances, a work encapsulating many ideas and much nostalgia.

Keep ReadingShow less
James H. Fox

SHARON — James H. Fox, resident of Sharon, passed away on May 30, 2025, at Vassar Brothers Hospital.

Born in New York, New York, to Herbert Fox and Margaret Moser, James grew up in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. He spent his summers in Gaylordsville, Connecticut, where he developed a deep connection to the community.

Keep ReadingShow less