William T. Moss, M.D., of Lake Oswego died May 24, 2015, at age 96. Born Oct. 30, 1918, in Ardmore, S.D., to Opal Snellings Moss and Melvin Moss, his father died when Bill was a young boy. His mother moved the family to Rock Hill, S.C., where Bill was raised. He earned a B.S. in Physics from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina in 1939, and a master’s in anatomy at the University of Missouri. He graduated from med school at Washington University in St. Louis, followed by a surgery internship. Bill married Rose Daily June 24, 1945. He served two years in the U.S. Army Air Force on Guam. On return to the U.S., he became a radiation therapy (oncology) resident at Missouri State Cancer Hospital and also, trained in England and France. He was then chief of radiology at Missouri State Cancer Hospital. In 1953, they moved to Wilmette, Ill. While chief of radiation therapy at Wesley Memorial Hospital in Chicago, he chaired radiation therapy at Northwestern University. In 1974, he moved to Portland to chair the radiation therapy department at OHSU, retiring in 1989. Bill’s open attitude to learning and collegiality were always admired. He was an acknowledged international leader in radiation oncology and cancer research, care and education. He authored “Radiation Oncology: Rationale, Technique, Results” in 1959, with seven editions. His genius in writing his book was to present the effects of radiation on normal tissues, and then to describe the role of radiation therapy in treating cancer. The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) gave him their Gold Medal Award in 1981, their highest honor for outstanding contributions to the field. He served as ASTRO’s president, was on the Board of Radiology, and helped write and administer specialty board exams. Bill was a loving husband, father and grandfather. He and Rose had six children and eight grandchildren. In spite of a busy professional life, he found a way to bring joy, insight and humor into the lives of others. He had a twinkle in his eye and an infectious laugh. He was gracious, loving and generous with his time. He enjoyed growing lush gardens, carving wood, reading and especially the Saturday morning Writer’s Workshop at Mary’s Woods at Marylhurst, creating a treasury of stories about his childhood, career and growing family. Bill was preceded in death by his wife, Rose; two brothers; and two sisters. He leaves many to mourn his death, his daughters, Anne Moss of New York City, Linda Jenkins (Donald) of Courtenay, B.C., and Elizabeth Russell of Iowa City, Iowa; sons, Robert Moss (Vicki) of Hamilton, Mont., Jerry Moss (Donna) of Monmouth and George Moss (Claudia) of Kansas City, Mo.; grandchildren, Amy Kittell (Jed), Katie Moss, Hillary Gage (Bill), Ezra Moss, Samuel Jenkins, Geneva Jenkins, Nathan Jenkins and Brita Wollums; great-grandchildren; sister, Helen Huntley; sister-in-law, Jean Shumway; and many nieces, nephews, colleagues and friends. He will be so deeply missed. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 20, 2015, at Mary’s Woods Chapel, 17400 Holy Names Drive, Lake Oswego, OR 97034.
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