Robert Moyer, lifelong Oceanside resident, F.D. stalwart, dies at 96

Robert Moyer, a lifelong resident of Oceanside and a beloved community figure, died in his home on July 11, at age 96, surrounded by his family.

His dedication to his family, community, and lifelong learning marked Moyer’s life. He was predeceased by his wife, Mary (Pat) Paterson, but is survived by two sons, Robert Jr. and Richard (Amy Cullen), and a daughter, Cindy (John Lines). He was also a devoted grandfather to Ashlyn, Kayley and Trevor.

Moyer was born in 1928 into a family deeply rooted in Oceanside, the second of Wallace and Anna May Moyer’s three sons. His father was a farmer and later a builder, constructing many homes in the area that still stand today. Robert carried on that legacy, and often sold the homes he built for minimal profit, with a spirit of community service and neighborly support.

“He was making just enough to pay the workers that he needed to pay because he had the mentality of looking out for fellow neighbors,” said his granddaughter Kayley Lines.

Moyer was known for helping people, even arranging loans for others when banks turned them away. He earned a degree in business from Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, was an executive at General Motors for 38 years, from 1950 to 1988, and did some political work on the side. He was involved in numerous organizations, including the Oceanside Kiwanis Club, the Board of Education, and the Fire Department’s Salamander Hook, Ladder and Bucket Company No. 1, where he was honored as an honorary chief after 75 years of service in 2023. He joined the department at age 20 in 1949, and was still the company treasurer up until last year.

“I used to pick him up for the parades in one of the cars, and he would go to several different parades,” recalled Josh Engel, the current company lieutenant, and he’d always have a smiling face, waving, as we drove by, especially on Memorial Day. He was one of those guys in the Fire Department who always had a smile, always was willing to help, and was just a really, genuinely good guy.”

Moyer was a 50-year member of the Oceanside Republican Club, and took on leadership roles throughout the community, including at the Lutheran Church. His commitment to public service extended to coordinating fundraising efforts for a variety of causes, including the evacuation of Jewish people from the Soviet Union during World War II.

“He had spearheaded the fundraising and writing letters to them and bringing them over to America,” Lines said.

In 2002, when Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital looked to add a gamma knife surgical program, so doctors could do more non-invasive surgery on cancer patients, Moyer helped lead the fundraising effort.

One of the causes he was most passionate about was supporting SIBS Place, a program for siblings of children with cancer and autism. His advocacy was deeply personal, driven by his love for his grandson Trevor, who has autism. Even in his later years, Moyer tirelessly worked to raise funds for and awareness of the cause.

“My grandpa was always — he just loved helping,” Lines said. “It was like his big thing that … we used to call him the mayor of Oceanside.”

Education was another pillar of Moyer’s life. He came with a few credits of earning a law degree, an effort curtailed by family obligations, but never stopped pursuing knowledge. He regularly attended classes at Molloy College, now Molloy University, ranging from criminal justice to forensic psychology. His much younger classmates were often inspired by his intellect and unyielding curiosity.

“All he wanted to do was go back and re-educate himself,” Lines said. “He would’ve been a hell of a lawyer. He just had to complete his thesis. He had a thirst for knowledge that was unparalleled.”

Moyer’s dedication to his family was evident in every aspect of his life. He instilled the values of education and community service in his children and grandchildren, who continue to carry forward his legacy.

“He was a major advocate of reading books,” said his daughter, Cindy Lines, a kindergarten teacher in Oceanside. “He would take me to the library and he would always make me go and get a dictionary, and each week I had to learn 10 new words.”

Moyer’s impact on Oceanside was such that he was even featured in a local history book, “Oceanside: Images of America,” by Richard Woods.

“We always operated with, you know, Grandpa’s spirit guiding what we should do,” Kayley Lines said. “He raised a really good group of people that were thinking about others. That is 100 percent the stuff that he instilled in us.”