Mary J. (Bechtel) Becky Moffett, age 90, died peacefully at her new home in Morgantown, on July 18, 2018. She suffered a fall in June and was not able to regain the ability to return to independent living.
She was born on April 26, 1928, in Buffalo, N.Y. to the late Herbert Frederick and Mary Elizabeth (Schroeder) Bechtel. She grew up in East Aurora, N.Y. and was a graduate of East Aurora High School, Class of 1945, Oberlin College, Class of 1950, and the University of Buffalo, Masters in Education, 1967.
Becky is survived by her husband of 66 years, Warren C Moff Moffett. They were married on June 14, 1952, in East Aurora, N.Y. and they resided most of their life in Western New York: East Aurora and Buffalo, until their move to WV in May 2018.
She is survived by her brother, Thomas Bechtel and his wife Dorie, of Middlebury, Vt.; her daughters, Elizabeth D. Moffett and her husband D. Matthew Powell, of Arlington, Va. and Kathryn Moffett Bradford and her husband Geoffrey E Bradford, of Morgantown; and her 4 grandsons whom she deeply loved and knew her as Oma, Edward D. Powell and his wife Kayla and Robert M. Powell, of Arlington, Va. and Benjamin R. Bradford and Ian T. Bradford, of Morgantown.
Becky taught physical education for 35 years, retiring in 1990 from Lancaster High School in Lancaster, N.Y. She was the spirit of the school, encouraging all kids, especially those less athletically inclined, to have self-esteem, be active, and have a lifelong passion for physical activity. She served as advisor to cheerleading, Olde English L (OEL) intramurals, and was department chair of PE at LHS. Becky was a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo, where she sang in the church choir. She performed in Aurora Children’s Theater, served as a docent at the Darwin Martin House, and was a volunteer for Buffalo in Bloom.
Becky loved the theater, travel, music, Buffalo Bills football, and most of all, her family. She will be remembered for her kindness to everyone she met, her laughter and sense of humor, her gift of putting everyone she met at ease, and most of all her loving spirit. She lit up every room she entered.
A service of celebration of her life will be held at the Erickson Alumni Center, in Morgantown, at 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 21, with a reception to follow from 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Additionally, a service will be held at a later date in Buffalo.
She gifted her body to the WV Human Gift Registry.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Becky’s memory can be made to the following organizations that were a part of Becky’s life: the Roycroft Campus Corporation, 31 S Grove St, East Aurora, NY 14052; Buffalo in Bloom: www.Buffaloinbloom.com or Buffalogreenfund.org; or the Darwin Martin House, 125 Jewett Parkway, Buffalo, NY 14214.
