John Ross Mosley

John Ross Mosley (nee) John R. Mosley, 95, of Litchfield Park, Arizona, formerly of Los Alamos, New Mexico died Tuesday, April 10, 2018 in Litchfield Park, Arizona. John was born in Wichita, Kansas on October 18, 1922 to Ira and Marion Mosley. He served in the US Army during World War II, and was discharged in 1945 as a Staff Sergeant. John graduated from Stanford University with a degree in Physical Chemistry. He went on to receive a PhD from Stanford University as well. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

John worked at the Los Alamos National Laboratories in Los Alamos, New Mexico for more than 35 years, from 1949 until 1984. He was a Chemical Physicist and worked to create the hydrogen bomb. He was involved in the WX5 and WX7 divisions at the lab and was at the site of Operation Ivy in 1952 in the South Pacific on the above ground test of the hydrogen bomb.

John enjoyed foreign travel while working at the lab and later when he retired. He obtained a private pilot’s license and flew Cessna 182’s. He retired in December of 1984 when he and his wife, Mary Mosley, moved to Phoenix. He and Mary relocated to Litchfield Park in 1994 where they resided until Mary’s death in 2014. John then resided with his son and daughter-in-law, Rob and Anita Mosley, in Litchfield Park, until his death in 2018.

John was a brilliant scientist, a kind husband, and the father to two amazing men, Rob and Jim. He is preceded in death by his wife, Mary Mosley; brother, Robert Mosley of California; and parents, Marion and Ira Mosley of California. John is survived by his sons, Robert W. Mosley and his wife, Anita Mosley of Litchfield Park, Arizona, and James W. Mosley and his wife Kristin of Grand Rapids, Michigan; sister, Margaret Heins who resides in Fairfield, California; 11 grandchildren and more than 21 great-grandchildren. We will all miss him and we pray that he rests in peace as we carry on here on Earth.

A graveside service with military honors will be held at 9:30 am on Thursday, May 17, 2018 at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, 23029 N Cave Creek Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85024. He will join his wife Mary who was also a World War II Navy Veteran. Any other recognitions or arrangements will be held privately. The family suggests that remembrances or donations be forwarded to The Hospice of the Valley who lovingly and respectfully cared for John in his final hours.