[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 14 (Thursday, February 14, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E160-E161]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING THE LIFE OF WILLIAM B. MOGE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. RICHARD E. NEAL

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 13, 2002

  Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that 
I rise before the House today. On January 18, 2002, Western 
Massachusetts lost one of its most cherished and influential citizens. 
Mr. William B. Moge of West Springfield passed away at the age of 93.
  Bill Moge was one of a kind. A graduate of Springfield Technical 
High, he began a coaching career in the late 1930s which lasted until 
his retirement in 1984. His accomplishments in football, baseball and 
basketball earned him recognition by the Massachusetts High School 
Coaches Hall of Fame in all three sports. After his last football game, 
in 1983, the field at Szot Park in Chicopee, Massachusetts was named 
after him. His alma mater, Providence College, inducted him into its 
Hall of Fame in 1984.
  However, Bill Moge was far more than a coach. He was a guidance 
counselor at Chicopee High School. He was a motivator and a 
disciplinarian. As a result of his teaching, his players have excelled 
in all walks of life, from professional sports to politics. If you 
talked with his players today, they wouldn't mention xs and os or game 
strategies. They would tell you that Coach Moge instilled confidence in 
each and every one of them. He taught his players how to succeed in 
life, not just sports. His legacy will live on forever in the players 
who became coaches and who have passed on his lessons to their own 
players.

[[Page E161]]

  The importance of people like Bill Moge cannot be overstated. He left 
a positive and indelible mark on Chicopee High School, its students and 
its athletes. The Western Massachusetts community will sorely miss him.
  Mr. Speaker, allow me to extend my sympathy to the family of Bill 
Moge, his six children, ten grandchildren and one great grandchild.

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