Elizabeth Sarah Underwood Mosley

Mosley—Elizabeth Sarah Underwood Mosley, 97, on July 12, 2021, surrounded by her family at her home in Jenkintown, Pa. Liz was born on August 11, 1923, to Helen (Oliver) and Orison Underwood in Buffalo, N.Y. Her mother taught her to enjoy music, literature, scholarship, and orderly living. Her father instilled in her a love of nature, a comfortable sense of independence and freedom, but most of all a deep spirituality and strong sense of integrity. Liz joined many adventures with her older sister, Margaret (“Peg”) Schwerin, while growing up. Liz graduated with honors from Wellesley College in Wellesley, Mass., in 1945 and received her master’s degree from the University of Rochester in New York in 1962.

Liz and her husband, Keith (“Mose”), shared 69 years of love. They enjoyed gardening, reading poetry, birdwatching, and traveling. Their favorite places to visit were their family’s lakeside summer camp in New York; Jekyll Island, Ga.; and the country of Wales. They lived in Cazenovia, N.Y., and Rochester, N.Y., before moving to Philadelphia, Pa., in 1968. Liz and Mose had four children, twins Michael and Malcolm, Elizabeth, and Deborah.

Liz spent 25 years teaching in college settings, including Cazenovia College and Rochester Institute of Technology, both in New York; and Drexel University in Philadelphia. She served as department head and chaired various committees. Liz designed curriculum, advised students, and served as a housemother. For 18 years, Liz taught at Abington Friends School (AFS) in Jenkintown, Pa., where she was the head of the English Department. In 1997, for the 300th anniversary of AFS, Liz guided and contributed to On This Same Ground, a book celebrating the voices and heritage of 300 years of the school.

Teaching at AFS led Liz to Quakerism and to Abington Meeting. She attended meetings for worship at Abington Meeting for many years, becoming a member on September 11, 1989. Liz served on several committees, including Library, Care of Members, and Worship and Ministry, serving as either clerk or co-clerk at various times. She taught adult First-day school, participated on clearness committees, and was a member of several spiritual nurture groups. Liz led “Sundays at Seven,” a series of Quaker education programs where she nurtured many newcomers and seekers. Liz enjoyed journaling and sharing many of her life stories with the monthly Memoir Group. She was a spiritual compass and a beloved elder of the meeting community. In her messages of wisdom, Liz frequently quoted the Quaker adage, “Let us see what love can do.” To all who knew her, Liz was the embodiment of George Fox’s philosophy, “Walk cheerfully over the earth answering to that of God in everyone.”

Liz was predeceased by her husband, Henry Keith Mosley, in 2015. She is survived by four children, Michael Mosley, Malcolm Mosley (Ji Won Mosley), Elizabeth Mosley-Hogan (Lance), and Deborah Mosley-Duffy (John); 15 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.

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