Copyright American Press
Nelson Joseph Moss was born in Lake Charles on Nov. 3, 1949 to Vincent and Evelyn Moss. He passed away on Oct. 11, 2025 at 1:45 a.m. in Lake Charles Memorial Hospital. He was surrounded by his brother Neil and members of his extended family, Mike and Melinda Veron and Jay and Rosanna LaFleur, who prayed together for his speedy entry into Heaven. Nelson attended LaGrange High School, where he excelled in speech and debate. It was there that he met the love of his life, Marcie LaFleur. Thereafter, Nelson attended McNeese. He was elected Freshman Class President, participated on Bill Casey’s renowned debate teams, and was a proud founding member of Kappa Alpha fraternity. Nelson also majored in physics at McNeese. He liked to joke that he was the highest-ranked physics major at McNeese, mainly because he didn’t think anyone else majored in physics. True to his “brainiac” persona, he yearned for a life in a laboratory. Upon graduation, however, he discovered that jobs in physics laboratories were nowhere to be found. He turned to teaching, first at St. Louis Catholic High School and then at Vinton High School. After he and Marcie married, he pivoted to working in the oil industry as a petroleum engineer. That vocation took him and Marcie to numerous places, from Morgan City to West Virginia to Lafayette and to Houston. After a downturn in the industry, Nelson studied and became qualified as a commercial real estate appraiser. In little time, he built a book of business among banks and others needing reliable and accurate evaluations of the worth of various properties across southwest Louisiana. He maintained that occupation for the remainder of his life. When Nelson’s health declined in the last few years, he became limited to a wheelchair and eventually required assisted living. Despite these setbacks, he remained completely upbeat. With his newly adopted family, he became a voracious reader and looked forward to daily visits from his inner circle as they discussed the latest books. He continued his frequent Bible readings and happily discussed his firm faith in God. What was perhaps most striking about Nelson’s last years was his unfailing good cheer. Despite his increasing limitations, he was peaceful and serene. This was attributed to his deep and abiding faith in his destination after life on Earth. He often said he looked forward to reuniting with Marcie and his family. Nelson was a very proud member of the Moss and Vincent families. He is now reunited in heaven with his parents, Vincent and Evelyn; his beloved aunt, Josephine Moss (for whom he was named); his step-mother, Jody Moss; his brother, Noel (and wife, Nancy); his sisters, Janet Molinario and Joyce Moss; the love of his life, Marcie LaFleur Moss, and his nephew, Josh Moss. He is survived by his brother and sister-in-law, Neil and Bonnie Moss; daughter, Sara Moss McDow and husband, Mark, and sons, Brandon Moss and Ryan Moss. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Annie McDow, Emily McDow, Liam Moss, Noah Moss, and Owen Moss. There will be a celebration of Nelson’s life on Friday, Nov. 7, at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church, in accordance with Nelson’s wishes. Visitation will begin at 12 p.m. and Memorial Mass will follow at 1:30 p.m. with the Rt. Rev. Keith Pellerin officiating. Nelson asked for his ashes to be scattered in Colorado where Marcie’s ashes will also be scattered. It was their favorite place. Nelson’s family is grateful for the care and devotion that he received from the staffs at Grand Cove and Calcasieu Community Care Center, as well as those at Christus St. Patrick and Lake Charles Memorial Hospitals. They are also grateful to his medical care providers, including Dr. Jason Langhofer, Dr. Amanda Ellington, Dr. Ahad Lodhi, Ralph Hays, APRN, Dr. John Bercier, Dr. Ron Lewis, Dr. Daniel Hall, and others who participated in his care and treatment. They all went above and beyond the call of duty. Memorial donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at stjude.org.
