Life Reflection


James Wavell Moses was born on June 7, 1941 in Oak Grove, Louisiana, the eleventh child of Henry and Evelyn Moses. His family lovingly called him Neal. As a youth James enjoyed playing with his dog, Rex. He graduated from Rueben McCall High School in Tallulah, Louisiana in 1959.

James enlisted in the U.S. Navy in October 1962, where he was a short order cook. After two years of military service he moved on to the Department of Defense stationed at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard. There he made many close friends. When the shipyard closed James transferred to the Camp Pendleton Marine Base in Oceanside. After 35 years of honorable service James retired from government life.

In December 1974, James welcomed a son, Jarrett Moses. Although they didn't get to spend a lot of time together, they kept in touch over the years.

In 1994 James met Elvera Lowery. The couple moved to Oceanside together and were married a year later in November 1997. James loved cooking and working in his yard. He took great pride cutting the grass, and tending and pruning all of his plants and trees. The family enjoyed many iconic Easter egg hunts hosted in that Oceanside oasis. The couple also cherished visits with the grandkids. James was a proud Grandpa, and attended their graduations and parties. He always made it a point to ask about their well-being and talk with them. He especially enjoyed doting over the granddaughters whom he fondly nicknamed Holly, Chip and Cookie.

Over the past couple of years, James' health suffered several blows, but he fought his way back each time. This last battle, however, proved to be just too much. James surrendered his fight on January 4, 2017. He was preceded in death by both of his parents and seven of his siblings.

Those left to cherish James' memory are his wife Elvera J. Moses; children Sjondrala Hill (Darren), Donya Brown (Orrett) and Jarrett (Tanya) Moses; grandchildren Alex, Chris, Marissa, Ayana, Vanessa, Darius, Jasmine and Mylan; sisters Evelyn Bolin of Los Angeles, Edna Moses of Washington D.C., Collota Moses of Greenbelt, Maryland and Dorothy Moses of Frostfree, Florida. He leaves a host of nieces and nephews who adored their Uncle Neal. James will also be missed by all the "Dawgs" from the shipyard, especially his good buddy, Salty.