Liberty Fields Dedicated To The Memory Of Ron Moffat

By Andrew Gorosko

The family and friends of the late Ronald S. Moffat, who served as the town’s parks superintendent until his death on the job last March, gathered on a knoll off Elm Drive last Sunday to honor him by dedicating Liberty Fields at Dickinson Park in his memory.

Mr Moffat, 61, had directed field maintenance in Newtown since 1985. During that time, he had seen the face of the town change as more and more residents moved in. The increased population made his job all the more challenging as the town’s playing fields bore the wear marks of more and more young athletes.

“The town is growing very fast just like many other towns in Connecticut. There are not enough fields to handle the programs. All the fields get overused, which is common throughout the state,” Mr Moffat told The Bee in an interview last year. “We do the best we can with what we’ve got.”

Town officials concluded that it was only fitting that Newtown’s newest athletic field be dedicated to the man who worked so hard for so many years to improve and maintain the playing fields in town.

A polished, curvilinear pink granite stone, which serves as a low bench, is incised with Mr Moffat’s name. The memorial overlooks left field at the southernmost of the two fields. That field is used for boys’ baseball. The other field is used for girls’ softball.

All the speakers at the dedication ceremony praised Mr Moffat’s skill and dedication as the town’s parks superintendent for the past 17 years.

Among those speaking were First Selectman Herbert Rosenthal, Parks and Recreation Director Barbara Kasbarian, Parks and Recreation Commission Chairman Lawrence Haskel, Parks and Recreation Administrative Assistant Deborah Denzel, and Patricia Moffat, who is Mr Moffat’s widow.

The family and friends of the late Mr Moffat watched the ceremonies from under a white sunshade overlooking left field of the southerly baseball diamond.

A lifelong resident of Beacon Falls, Mr Moffat is survived by his wife, five children, and 11 grandchildren.

Prior to coming to Newtown, Mr Moffat worked for Uniroyal Chemical and also served as the former park chairman for the town of Beacon Falls.

Mr Rosenthal has described Mr Moffat as a perfectionist and a very hard worker. “He liked to get the job done a certain way and he had high standards. He took his job very seriously.”