[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 76 (Thursday, April 30, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S2166]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 REMEMBERING LIEUTENANT COLONEL JAMES ``TONY'' MOFFATT, LEASA MOFFATT, 
                  ANDREW MOFFATT, AND WILLIAM MOFFATT

 Mrs. BRITT. Mr. President, I rise today with a heavy heart to 
honor the Moffatt family of Huntsville, AL, whose lives were tragically 
lost in a plane crash on April 17, 2026, while traveling from Raleigh-
Durham, NC, to Huntsville. LTC James ``Tony'' Moffatt, USA (Ret.) along 
with his beloved wife of nearly 35 years, Leasa, and their sons Andrew 
and William, were taken far too soon. Today, I join their surviving 
children Grant, Victoria ``Tori,'' and Cate, along with their extended 
family and loved ones, in mourning this unimaginable loss.
  While no words can fully capture their remarkable lives, Tony, Leasa, 
Andrew, and William each left an indelible impact on the Huntsville 
community, our entire State, and all who had the privilege of knowing 
them.
  Lieutenant Colonel Moffatt was a retired U.S. Army aviator and a 
decorated pilot. His 21-year military career also included experience 
as an aerospace engineer who served as a payload and flight crew 
support specialist at NASA's Johnson Space Center Astronaut Office. 
After his retirement from the U.S. Army in 2008, Lieutenant Colonel 
Moffatt founded Moffatt Systems, Inc., a defense and aerospace 
consulting firm and served as a principal research engineer at the 
University of Alabama at Huntsville, UAH, where he supported the 
Rotorcraft Systems Engineering & Simulation Center, RSESC, and also 
directed the Digital Engineering Transformation Lab until 2024. 
Lieutenant Colonel Moffatt coached the Freedom Cowboys football team 
from 2015 to 2017, during which William played for the team, Andrew was 
the team's sideline photographer, and Leasa came to the games and 
practices to support.
  Leasa Moffatt was a first and second grade learning coach at Valley 
Leadership Academy. Her incredible heart for education is reflected in 
a statement from her school, which reads, in part, ``She was devoted to 
her students and brought warmth, wisdom, steadiness, and joy into her 
classroom each day. She had a remarkable gift for teaching young 
children, and her influence on their lives will not be forgotten . . . 
While Valley Leadership Academy welcomes families of all faiths, we 
honor the beautiful way Leasa's Christian faith shaped her life. Her 
faith underpinned the way she loved, served, taught, and cared for 
others, and it was evident in the kind of person she was-beautiful 
inside and out.''
  Andrew Moffatt was a UAH alumnus and received a bachelor's degree in 
industrial and systems engineering in 2021. He followed his father's 
career, serving as a research engineer in the UAH RSESC since his 
graduation. Jerry Hendrix, executive director of RSESC, said it best 
when he reflected, ``Andrew was a well-rounded and fine young man, and 
his spirit made every day an enjoyable day,'' in addition to his 
``smile, inviting personality and his encouragement.'' Andrew's talents 
as a sports photographer also extended to volleyball, and he 
photographed the Huntsville Volleyball Academy for several years.
  William Moffatt graduated from Calhoun Community College, where he 
studied information technology and Cloud security, earning his 
Microsoft Certified Azure Administrator Associate certification and 
CompTIA Security+ and Linux+ credentials. He worked as a NOC analyst 
and vulnerability analyst with Summit 7, a Huntsville-based defense IT 
firm, and most recently as a Cloud security administrator for Family 
Resource Home Care. Calhoun Community College noted William's 
``resilience, determination, and a commitment to his future that 
reflected the very best of our student body.'' Both William and his 
brother Andrew also served as counselors at Space Camp at the U.S. 
Space & Rocket Center.
  I join the Huntsville community and all of Alabama in commemorating 
the lives of Tony, Leasa, Andrew, and William Moffatt. Their strong 
faith, deep love for each other, and dedicated service to their 
community will always be remembered. I am humbled to ensure their 
legacy is preserved in the annals of Congress, a testament to lives 
lived with faith, love, and devotion.

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