The late Dot Moss, a longtime Liberty County resident, was well known for establishing the group Georgia State Bike Ride, now known as Bike Ride Across Georgia, and the care with which she took care of her garden and animal visitors at home.

Moss was also a columnist for the Coastal Courier, and continued to voice her spirited opinions in letters to the editor over the years. Her column was titled, “Limerick Plantation Happenings.”

Moss died on Dec. 27, 2018 — at the age of 78 — leaving her family and those who knew her to mourn her passing.

“I first met Dot Moss when I covered the Bike Ride Across Georgia several years ago,” said Coastal Courier general manager Patty Leon. “She was one of the founders of that event and the year I covered the story it was the first time in many years that BRAG came through Hinesville. Dot was instrumental in organizing that and hundreds of cyclists converged into town and pit-stopped at Bradwell overnight. She was a strong, vibrant personality with a heart of gold. She was also an avid gardener and loved growing her own fruits, vegetables and plants. She was a dear friend and I will miss her.”

“I will always remember Dot for her involvement to improve our environment,” Liberty County resident John Henderson said. “She was a fighter for all things that she believed in. She fought for many causes in Liberty County.”

“We have lost a great woman,” Carla McDonald Goodwin said. “Dot was a great help to me when I was director at Keep Liberty Beautiful. She was a great volunteer and board member. Needless to say, a great friend.”

“I’m saddened by this news,” F. Barry Wilkes said. “I always enjoyed visits from Dot. Dot was a lady who I greatly admired.”

“Dot Moss was the most amazing friend, an inedible artist and lover of life,” Darlene Redmon said. Redmon is circulation manager for the Courier and grew close to Moss in recent years.

Moss was born on Parris Island Marine Base in 1940, and spent the subsequent years traveling and attending schools across North Carolina, Virginia, Indiana, Ohio and South Carolina, graduating from Beaufort High School, according to her obituary.

She attended school at what is now known as South College with a degree in Secretarial Administration, paving the way for numerous jobs across the area. She worked as a secretary for the International Union of Operating Engineers in the 1960’s, secretary to a Rabbi at the Agudath Achim Synagogue from 1983-1986, secretary at Savannah Urology for two years, and worked for 13 years at St. Joseph’s Hospital as a secretary, where she retired from in 2002.

Moss settled in Lake George in Midway, in 1994, and spent time feeding the wild animals and birds that her yard would attract, and was a member of Keep Liberty Beautiful, where should would spend days picking up litter and help to keep the rivers and barrier islands clean. “Her yard is a testament to her love of plants and trees,” her obituary read.

Moss was not only known as a secretary, but as an active volunteer in the community, serving with nearly 16 organizations including: Pooler School P.T.A; Chatham Cyclists Club, Pooler Athletic Association; Pooler and Bloomindale schools; school class mothers club, Cub Scouts, Westside Weekly Newspaper; U.C.S. Recreational Council; Girl Scouts; Epilepsy Foundation Bike-A-Thon; Pooler First Baptist Church and Calvary Baptist Day School.

When she wasn’t volunteering, Moss participated in women’s sports—basketball, softball, bowling, volleyball, tennis—and she even coached the Pooler Girls 1976 softball team. In 1979, Moss and her son rode across the entire state of Iowa in the Iowa State Bike Ride. This inspired her to create GASBE (Georgia’s Annual State Bike Event). After 10 years, she handed the organization over, and the name was changed to BRAG.

Moss won many awards, including The Pioneer Award in 1999, recognizing her extensive work and effort promoting the state of Georgia.

Moss is survived by sons Jimmy Moss of Garden City and Randy Moss of Pooler; grandson Charlie Moss; her brother and sister-in-law Joe and Connie Shuman of Meldrim; her sisters and brothers-in-law Diane and Richard Skovran of Myrtle Beach, Ruthie and Mike Burgstiner of Savannah, and Tracy Kessler of Port Wentworth. She is also survived by aunts and uncles of the Chaplin family in Beaufort and Port Royal, S.C.