Christopher P. Moody

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution announces with great sorrow the death of former employee Christopher P. Moody on February 4, 2025, after a long battle with COPD. He was 74.

Chris was born in Bangor, Maine but grew up in Monroe, Maine. He graduated from Mount View High School in 1969 and went on to attend Northern Maine Vocational Technical Institute where he completed a two-year vocational program in carpentry. He would later use these skills to completely renovate his beautiful home. Chris also attended Rhode Island School of Design where his focus was on culinary art. He used his education to gain employment aboard the R/V Endeavor. In 2000, he began his career at WHOI aboard the R/V Oceanus, where he proudly served as chief steward until 2010. His position allowed him to travel the world and meet many great people along the way.

Chris loved to ski, cook, walk, renovate, garden, water ski, spoiling his cats, and spending time with his friends that he cherished most of all.

Chris was a member of the Waterville Community Land Trust Committee and the South End Neighborhood Association. His quick wit and sense of humor made him a joy to be around and was the foundation for many great friendships in his life. Chris overcame a lot of adversity in his life starting a young age. As a survivor of sexual abuse and drug addiction, he persevered and was able to live a successful life of recovery. He wrote a poem to give others hope that they too can overcome such difficult experiences.

Just a child, very innocent, not wild

Not special, just a child

Six years old, going on seven

Very happy, living in heaven

Why I was chosen, I’ll never know

From that day on, there was no glow

Life became hell, inside of me

And I decided to let it be.

 

No one knew I was so sad,

I believed I was just bad

Life was not easy and sometimes it was hard

Couldn’t let any know what was inside.

When drugs and alcohol didn’t work anymore,

I just wanted to close life’s door

Wanting to feel normal was not in the cards

Learning to accept was in the stars.

Peace came in the years to come,

I was no longer a man on the run.

Chris is survived by his sister Raye-Marie Green and her son Theodore Green as well as many wonderful friends. Chris is predeceased by his mother, Kathleen Marie Marshall, father, Elwin Christopher Moody, and brother, Theodore Moody.

There will be no public service, however, Chris requested that in  in lieu of flowers, a donation could be made to the Waterville Community Land Trust, South End Neighborhood Association, or the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation in his memory.

Information for this obituary is from Chris’ family