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.
