Johnny Crawford Moss

COLUMBIA – Johnny Crawford Moss, 73, passed away Friday, April 3, 2020 of complications from cancer at Prisma Richland Hospital in Columbia, SC. He is survived by his wife, Gloria Dickerson Moss; son, Eric C. Moss (Kiana) and granddaughter, Alani J. Moss.

John was humble, kind, gifted, a bit shy and unassuming. Very few even knew he’d earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history at the University of Buffalo, or that he’d achieved brown belt level in martial arts.

A voracious reader of history, literature and current events, John never stopped developing his intellectual muscles. “An awareness of history and current affairs is crucial for making sound decisions for now and the future”, he often said. Always practical, John for years did his own auto repairs: replacing engines, transmissions, brakes and more. He simply did whatever needed to be done, including home improvements for family and as part time work for others. His appreciation of all good music, especially jazz, remains his life’s soundtrack.

Johnny C. Moss was born in Warren County, Georgia, the second of four sons to the late Sammie B. Moss, Sr. and Martha L. Mayes “Moss”. After his parents separated, the boys lived with a great uncle, Robert Moss, on a sharecropping farm. As a teenager, weary of that limiting life, he left for Buffalo, New York. There he gained a diploma from Bennett High School. John was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War and served honorably. Later, he used the G.I. bill to attend the University of Buffalo. Afterward he moved to South Carolina and met the love of his life, Gloria Dickerson Moss. John worked for and retired from South Carolina’s Department of Corrections.

Other survivors include stepmother, Bonnie Moss of Warrenton, GA; brothers, Russ Moss of Flintstone, MD, Al Dawson (Joyce) of Jonesboro, GA, Michael Myrick (Quanes) of Grovetown, GA; sisters, Dorothy Hanson of Warrenton, GA, Eleanor Pope of Atlanta, GA, Myrtis Woods of Atlanta, GA and Edith Blount (Fred) of Warrenton, GA, and a host of aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, cousins, other relatives and friends.

John’s remains were cremated. A memorial service to celebrate the life of Johnny Crawford Moss will be scheduled after the coronavirus is no longer a threat to public gatherings.