Moffatt Honored With Legion Of Merit Award

By Steve Bigham

Parks & Recreation Buildings & Grounds Supervisor Ron Moffatt has been honored with the Legion of Merit Award for outstanding service while serving in key positions as a member of the 94th Regional Service Command US Army Reserve.

Mr Moffat, who retired in 1997 with a rank of Command Sergeant Major, spent four years in the Marines as an advanced infantryman from 1958 to 1962 and in the reserves from 1975 to 1997. He also spent a couple of years in the National Guard. He was also an honors graduate from the leadership academy (drill sergeant school) in 1976.

Mr Moffatt said he is just one of the many examples of town employees who have many interests outside of their normal jobs.

“There’s another side to town employees. There are a lot of outstanding people working for Newtown,” he said. “I think you will find that job loyalty is more prevalent among town employees than in industry. There are a lot of unsung heroes out there. We’re not just public servants.”

Mr Moffatt, 60, has been director of field maintenance in Newtown since 1984. During that time, he has seen the face of the town change as more and more residents move in. Just like schools, playing fields also feel the brunt of an increased population of kids.

“The town is growing very fast just like many other towns in Connecticut. There are not enough fields to handle the programs. All the fields get overused, which is common throughout the state,” he said. “We do the best we can with what we’ve got.”

The park supervisor has a staff of six full-time workers.

Mr Moffatt lives in Beacon Falls with his wife, Patricia. The couple has five children (ranging in age from 29 to 35) and nine grandchildren. A 10th grandchild is on the way.

Prior to coming to Newtown, Mr Moffatt worked for Uniroyal Chemical and also served as the former park chairman for the town of Beacon Falls.