'Quintessential journalist': Caller-Times Executive Editor John R. Moses dies at 61
Corpus Christi Caller-Times Executive Editor John R. Moses is being remembered by his family and colleagues for his dedication to his family and profession after he died Tuesday, May 21, following a battle with cancer.
He was 61.
In November 2023, Moses was diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer.
Gale Moses, his wife, said she is glad he is out of his pain and hopes he will be remembered as a dedicated professional journalist and a wonderful family man.
The two were married for 33 years, and have a daughter and four grandchildren.
Moses had spent the past three decades managing newsrooms in California, Alaska, New Mexico and Wyoming. Before coming to the Caller-Times, he was the editor of the Farmington Daily News in Farmington, New Mexico.
His wife said when Moses learned about the job opportunity in Corpus Christi, they both thought it would be a fun, new and challenging opportunity.
"John really enjoyed the Caller-Times and the challenges it faced over the last year and a half," Gale Moses said.
New to the area, the two enjoyed heading to the beach and exploring different restaurants, she said. They frequented many seafood restaurants, including Harrison's Landing and Snoopy's.
His wife said Moses enjoyed learning about the history of the Caller-Times and Corpus Christi. She said he has been described as a "quintessential journalist."
"He was a true-blue journalist," Gale Moses said. "I think blue ink was running in his veins sometimes. He would get up at 3 in the morning to answer a call. He felt it was his job to watch over Corpus Christi."
Jill Nevels-Haun, Gannett's senior director of content for the region, reflected on Moses' passing.
“John is missed,” she said. “I miss his humor and his dedication. He was an outstanding editor who always remembered why what we do really matters. He was committed to serving the Corpus Christi community and challenged his team to strive for excellence. He simply made everyone around him better.”
Tim Archuleta, the former editor of the Caller-Times, worked with Moses for several years.
"John Moses was a thoughtful editor who always tried to be fair," Archuleta said. "He was an advocate for his reporters, newsroom and community. At the start of the year he told me about his cancer treatment. I remember him saying 'it couldn't have come at a worse time.' He was really looking forward to helping the Caller-Times do important work."
Moses enjoyed life in the Coastal Bend and liked to joke about the sun and surf, Archuleta said.
"He sent me a message congratulating a reporter's good work earlier this year," Archuleta said. "He closed the message stating: 'Primo weather this weekend, I’ll have a glass of wine for you at Snoopy’s tomorrow.' John was a kind person who loved his family."
In a January 2023 article welcoming Moses to the Caller-Times, he said "coming to South Texas on the Gulf of Mexico is the next step in our family’s adventure."
“I look forward to both serving and exploring this diverse and unique community as part of the amazing team of journalists I’ve met here at the Caller-Times,” Moses said. “I can see this is a newsroom that truly cares about the community it covers and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
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John Oliva covers entertainment and community news in South Texas. Contact him at john.oliva@caller.com or X @johnpoliva.
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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Caller-Times Executive Editor John R. Moses passes away at 61
