This is the final installment of the WMSP series that began here.
So where are they now?
The Market Square Presbyterian Church sold the station in 1988. There is a Facebook page of former WMSP volunteers, which yet again suggests that I made a mistake when I closed my FB account for what I thought were good reasons. Sigh. I’ve cut myself off from so many folks.
Pat, the fellow who introduced me to AJ, well, he and I had a falling out just about the same time that I started hosting the show on WMSP. No big surprise, as his personality and mine were nearly total opposites anyway. I did hear from George that shortly thereafter Pat changed his name to Steve, moved to Montana (or Wyoming, is there any difference, really?), and became a long haul truck driver. I did try to track him down a little while ago, and I found someone named Pat Steven with his last name who died in the mid-90s; could be him.
Dr. George Smith moved to NYC at about the same time that I moved to Philadelphia, and we stayed in contact for several years. When I went to see a show or opera I’d usually stay at his place as we typically went to the same shows, but gradually, my trips to New York became fewer and farther between, and George and I simply lost touch. Years later I tried to renew our acquaintance, but it seemed that he had moved. More recently I did another search, and I have reason to believe he may have died in the late 80s, although with a name like George Smith (I knew a George Smith at DPSC and there’s a George Smith car towing service in Philly) it’s hard to be sure.
Despite the slight physical resemblance, the Michael Moore I knew in Harrisburg is not the documentarian Michael Moore. I’ve tried to find Sue and Mike, and my best guess is that they are both alive and well but no longer a couple. Perhaps I might try to contact the former Susan Moore one of these days as I think she’d remember JT. After all, she once pretended to be my wife for an evening.
Sadly, Joyce Tracy didn’t survive very long after I left Harrisburg. She lived alone, and as far as I know, she no longer had any family. Her life revolved around WMSP. When she didn’t show up one day, her room was searched and— You can fill in the rest.
That sad news was conveyed to me by AJ, as he and I remained in touch for several years. When I went to visit my parents at Christmas in 1980, I drove over to Harrisburg to spend a few hours with AJ. He was always a good conversationalist.
But as with everyone else, time passed and we lost contact. It’s just too bad that smart phones, texting, email, and the web weren’t available back then; it would have made keeping in touch so much easier.
When I began writing this series I went searching for AJ. I still had his address, but I thought it would be too much to ask that he’d still be living in the same house. To my surprise, my initial search seemed to indicate that he did occupy that house, though a few other names popped up as well. How about the phone number? Surely he didn’t still have the same land line? Should I try calling it?
And then I saw it.
Albert John “A. J.” Moulfair, 68, of Harrisburg, died Wednesday, December 12, 2007 in Holy Spirit Hospital. He was an educator at York College, Penn State University and Harrisburg Area Community College. He received his degrees from Columbia University and Masters Degree from Yale University.
He was survived by his brother William, William’s wife, and son. I had met William a couple times, though I doubt that he’d remember me after all this time. The obituary did confirm that I was right in guessing he was 10 years older than I was.
Just wish I had made more of an effort to keep in touch with him.
AJ and I were a big part of each other’s lives for the better part of two years, and writing this series has brought him back to life for me again.