Danny E Moucha

Canfield, OH - Danny Eugene Moucha was granted eternal rest on Wednesday, 20 December, 2017 at approximately 1:30pm at St. Elizabeth’s/Mercy Hospital in Boardman due to cardiac arrest after being hospitalized for serious infection at the age 76.  He had been in poor health for several years; however, it is more likely that he passed away of a broken heart and sense of purpose.  His wife of nearly 53 years preceded him by less than three months.

Lorinda Lee (Oakley) Moucha was granted eternal rest on Sunday 8 October, 2017 at approximately 3:30 am at the Austinwood Rehabilitation and Nursing home in Austintown due to biliary/liver cancer.

Danny Eugene Moucha was the youngest son of Orville H. Moucha and Lula Mae (Hankins) Moucha, originally from Tennessee and Alabama, respectively, and was born and raised in Akron.  He attended Akron State University majoring in Business and participated in intercollegiate swimming with butterfly as his specialty.  He enlisted in the Army as a journalist and was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas during the Vietnam War era.  He was very proud of the time in the Army and regretted but also grateful he did not see direct combat.

Danny had various occupations such as a claims adjustor as well as a salesman.  He was affected by the great recession that hit the Mahoning-Shenango Valleys during the mid-70, and eventually earned an MBA in Accounting with honors from Youngstown State University.  He proudly retired as an auditor for the State of Ohio in 2011 after 35 years of service.  He hardly, if ever missed a day of work unless he was nearly on his death bed and commuted distances around the state to conduct audits of nursing home facilities.  Danny’s steadfast devotion set the example their other son Daniel R. Moucha to follow, who not only runs his own business as a professional blacksmith and farrier, but also directly and daily managed the care of both parents for the last several years, as well as being the husband and father to his own wife and three children.

Lorinda was the youngest and only daughter of H. Ray Oakley and Lorinda Dorothea “Dolly” (O’Connor) Oakley and spent most of her life in Canfield, Ohio.  She graduated from Canfield High School in 1961.  Not pursuing a veterinary profession as it was not acceptable yet for women of the day, she entered one of the few four-year nursing programs at Akron General University Hospital.  Lorinda graduated the disciplined program and worked a short period at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Youngstown, until she married Danny.  She was also a very talented vocalist and musician on the piano, organ, and guitar, singing for several seasons with the Youngstown Symphony Chorus, church choirs, and family gatherings.

While she sang Handel’s Messiah or Verdi’s Aida or Rutter’s Gloria, or just about any show tune, some of the fondest musical memories were of her Uncle Ford O’Connor playing the harmonica, (or guitar), and she on the piano or guitar, singing with her brothers Richard Ray Oakley (living) of Youngstown, Edward “Bud” Ewing Oakley (deceased) of Boardman, and her son Matthew Brittin Moucha (living) of Maryland.  Plenty of old gospel songs such as “Rusty old Helo” or “Standing on the Promises” were sung at family gatherings.

Lorinda dedicated 30 plus years in the nursing profession from Emergency Rooms to OB/GYN wards to Nursing Homes to Homecare, most of the time being the Charge or

Delegating Nurse.  She worked at St. Elizabeth’s, North Side, and Cafaro Hospitals, as well as being the director of

nursing what is now Austinwoods before moving onto Homemakers Upjohn.  She pioneered and championed for geriatric care, to include home health, as well Alzheimer’s before it became well-known, pushing for quality of life care and not just the “veg-them-out” care with medication.  Her legacy lives on caring for people (or animals) not only with their son Matthew who owns and operates homecare agency and niche assisted living home in Maryland, but their granddaughter Anmarie who is a veterinary technician.  In her retirement years she played the organ and was the cantor for Paradise Lutheran Church and substituted at the Lord of Life Lutheran Church of which she and Danny were founding members. Danny and Lorinda met at college in Akron.  It was a unique time in history – Civil Rights Era, the

assassinations of President Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and Robert F. Kennedy; Vietnam War; and the Women’s Liberation Movement – all of which had a direct impact on the people throughout the world.  But despite all the turmoil, they got married in the Blizzard of in January 1966, and were off to Fort Hood, Texas.  Danny had Army duty and she found a position at the local hospital in the OB/GYN ward.  They stayed there and eventually move back temporarily to the Canfield area for the birth of their first son, Matthew.  Then it was off to various cities around the state of Ohio for Danny’s job opportunities, and then Daniel Ray was born in Dayton, where Lorinda was teaching in the nursing program at local university.  In 1976, they moved back to Canfield and purchased from her mother, Lorinda’s childhood home her late father had built.  Danny and Lorinda raised a family and extended family, and countless “strays” to include friends and pets in that home for the last 41 years.  The door was always open and the table was always shared with those in need. The 60 year old house is little worse for wear, but still has plenty of good memories and strong bones.

     Danny was the epitome of devoted and doting husband and father.  He cared for and attended Lorinda until he just could not do it anymore.  He sacrificed time and self for that of the family.  He was the example to a fault, the scripture passages of “...Husbands love your wives, as Christ also loved the Church and delivered Himself up for it...”  [Ephesians 5:25 Douay-Rheims] and “Greater love, no man has, than that to lay down his own life for his friend.” [John 15:13 Douay-Rheims].  And for all the financial hardships, “discussions” with tempers, personal tragedies to include a house fire, and three still-births, Danny always tried to make Lorinda laugh or keep a positive outlook.  He may have had a frustration temper at times, but deep down he truly loved his family and did everything he could to care for them.

Danny and Lorinda are survived by Richard Ray “Dick” Oakley and his wife Doreen; Mrs. Ann Oakley (widow of Edward Ewing “Bud” Oakley) and her family; their sons: Matthew Brittin and his wife, Beatriz Zarate Moucha of Maryland; Daniel Ray and his wife, Janet (Wolf) Moucha of

Canfield; and their grandchildren:  Victoria Isabela (Moucha) Mexcur and Christopher Mexcur of Nebraska; Alejandra Beatriz Moucha of North Carolina, AnMarie Moucha, Kasey Ray Moucha, and Jack Daniel Moucha of Canfield, Ohio; and of course various canine pets and a horse or two.

Funeral services are scheduled for Epiphany weekend, Saturday 6 January at Lord of Life Lutheran Church, Canfield, Ohio.  Services will start promptly at 11:00 am with luncheon immediately following.  Military Honors and internment will be held Monday, 8 January at Greenhaven Memorial Gardens, Canfield Ohio.  Time TBD, but in the morning.

Arrangements by Cremation & Funeral Service by Gary S. Silvat Inc.  ​Send condolences by visiting: www.cremateohio.com.