[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 122 (Monday, July 27, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E740]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       HONORING THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF MR. JOHNNY E. MOSS, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. TERRI A. SEWELL

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 27, 2026

  Ms. SEWELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary 
life, legacy, and service of Mr. Johnny E. Moss, Jr., who passed away 
on July 17, 2026, at the age of 83.
  Mr. Moss was born on October 25, 1942, to the late Johnny Moss, Sr., 
and Ollie Mae Moss and was raised in a Christian home by his 
grandmother, Berta Moss, in Selma, Alabama.
  Mr. Moss began his educational journey in the Segregated Selma City 
School System. Following his graduation, he joined the United States 
Navy where he served his country for four years on the Kitty Hawk. He 
later matriculated at Nashville School of Business, in Nashville, 
Tennessee.
  Dedicated to giving back to the community that nurtured him, Mr. Moss 
began his career of service to the Selma and Dallas County community as 
the Director of the Don Bosco Neighborhood Service Center. After his 
departure from the Selma Dallas Economic Opportunity Board, Mr. Moss 
became the first Black Director of the Selma Housing Authority, where 
he served for more than thirty years.
  Before his retirement in 2005, Mr. Moss's tenure as Director of the 
Selma Housing Authority was marked by his efforts to improve the lives 
of residents both inside and outside the home through youth programming 
and adult resident training. His contributions were recognized when the 
Moss Court housing for seniors was named in his honor.
  Outside of his career, Mr. Moss was a mentor, teacher, and community 
leader who served as the City of Selma Planning Commission Chairperson 
and the Dallas-Selma Community Action Agency President, and was a 
member of the Wallace Community Foundation, George Evans Special Needs 
Foundation, Historic Brown Chapel AME Church Preservation Society Inc., 
Head Start Board, Rotary Club, 12 High Club, Chesterfield Club, and 
others.
  A committed servant of God, Mr. Moss confessed Christ at an early age 
and joined the Ebenezer Baptist Church. After his marriage to Jeanette 
Eileen Martin in 1968, he and his wife became members of Brown Chapel 
AME Church, where he remained a devoted member until his passing.
  Mr. Johnny E. Moss, Jr., is preceded in death by his parents, Johnny 
Moss, II, and Ollie Mae Moss; and his grandmother, Berta Moss. He is 
survived by his loving wife, Jeanette Moss; his sons, Johnny Moss, III 
(Sharonoa), and Jarvis Moss; his grandchildren, Jarvis Moss, Jr., 
Keriana Moore, Jada Moss, Evan Moss, Jackson Moss, Jace Riddle, and 
Jacelyn Riddle; his siblings, Odessa Brown (Tommy), Lewis Moss, Jeffery 
Moss, Broderick Moss, Lois Moss, and Glenda Williams; his sisters-in-
law, Mabel Reddick, Rosalyn (Clarence) Hatcher, Doris Rush; his god 
daughters, Jatavi Reddick-Hardy, Tamela Glover, Danielle Smith, Ayannah 
Joi Cleary, Ashlyn ``Kam'' Goodwin; those he had deepest gratitude and 
appreciation to, Coren Wilson (Nephew and Caregiver) and Velton Moss 
(Nephew); and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, relatives, neighbors, 
and friends.
  On a personal note, Mr. Moss was more than a distinguished public 
servant, he was a cherished family friend. The Moss and Sewell families 
have long shared a close bond rooted in our love for Selma and our 
shared commitment to serving others. Mr. Moss dedicated his life to 
making our community stronger.
  Whether leading the Selma Housing Authority, mentoring young people, 
serving his church, or lending his wisdom to countless civic 
organizations, Mr. Moss never sought recognition, only opportunities to 
serve. My heart is with his beloved wife, Jeanette, his sons, Mayor 
Johnny Moss, III, and Jarvis Moss, Sr., and the entire Moss family. May 
they find comfort in knowing that his legacy lives on not only in the 
institutions he helped build, but in the countless lives he touched.
  On behalf of Alabama's 7th Congressional District, I ask my 
colleagues to join me in celebrating the extraordinary life, legacy, 
and service of Mr. Johnny E. Moss, Jr.

                          ____________________