Obituary of Bill Moushey, chess organizer

The following obituary of Bill Moushey is published in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and is available on the Post-Dispatch web site at http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/classifieds/classads.nsf/funeral+notices?openview&startkey=M

MOUSHEY, WILLIAM J., resting in the arms of the Lord, Tues., May 1, 2001; beloved husband of Sandra L. Moushey (nee Wheeler); beloved son of Joanna Moushey; dear brother of Albert L. Moushey III and Daniel Moushey; dear uncle of Matthew, Scott, Laura and Amy Moushey. Bill was a life member of the U.S. Chess Federation, National Tournament Director and long-time director of St. Louis area chess tournaments. He was also a member of the Society of American Baseball Research (SABR), an avid Cardinal baseball fan and trivia buff. Visitation and funeral Mass will be held Fri., May 4, at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, 3140 Meramec St. Visitation at 9:30 a.m. with the Mass to follow at 10:30 a.m. Interment Resurrection Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions to American Heart Association appreciated. KRIEGSHAUSER BROTHERS Funeral Service.

I only met Bill Moushey once. The only time I played chess in St. Louis was at the 1960 US Open, which was before Moushey's time.

Although Bill Moushey was regularly at the top of the list of chess organizers who had signed up the most new USCF members, I never heard of him until 1996 when he sent out his famous attack letter against Bob Holliman. The attack was so virulent that there was wide disagreement about whether the letter had hurt or helped Holliman.

For sure, the claim was made that Holliman's political opponents had put up Moushey to write the letter. Both Holliman and Moushey are from Missouri and have known each other for decades.

Holliman was defeated. When Holliman ran again Moushey wrote another letter.

Holliman was defeated again.

This year, Holliman is running again. Holliman's opponents have been trying to muzzle Moushey, fearing that the backlash against another letter will help Holliman rather than hurt him.

We will never know whether Moushey's friends had succeeded in convincing him not to write another anti-Holliman letter, because Moushey died on May 1, 2001.

Sam Sloan

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Contact address - please send e-mail to the following address: Sloan@ishipress.com