Sidney Zachary Moss

Sidney Zachary Moss died peacefully at home with family by his side on July 2,2025. Sidney was born in New York City on April 1, 1925, to parents Sabina and Zachary Moss. After a short marriage, his parents divorced. At age two and a half, Sidney moved to Chicago with his father and his father’s new wife, Rae Liebowitz, who was a loving stepmother. Later, as a young adult, Sidney established a strong relationship with his mother Sabina.
Sidney’s parents were Jewish immigrants from Romania and he was raised in the trials of the Great Depression in New York City, Chicago and Texas. Sidney was drafted into the U.S. Army at age 19, serving as a combat soldier in WW II. He landed in Utah Beach, Normandy, not long after D-Day. As a Private First Class in the 17th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, he was a rifleman and drove a jeep in dangerous situations.
After the war, Sidney completed his Bachelor’s degree in Economics at Roosevelt University in Chicago, supported by the G.I. Bill. He then pursued graduate studies at Columbia University in Sociology where he met his wife, Miriam. He later earned a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania in 1958.
As a psychiatric social worker for over 60 years, Sidney worked in child protection, child residential and adult mental health services, as a caseworker and as an individual, group and family therapist. He was a Clinical Assistant Professor of Social Work at Temple University and Hahnemann University in Philadelphia, where he taught courses in family therapy.
Sidney’s professional experience navigating grief and loss fueled his work later in life as a gerontology researcher with his wife Miriam. Sidney was professionally active throughout his career, publishing over 35 journal articles and book chapters, many with his wife Miriam, into his 90’s.
Sidney was always politically engaged in issues related to social justice, democracy and the dignity of all people. Sidney attended a weekly peace vigil in Northampton, MA, where he moved in his late 80’s to be near his daughter and her family. In Northampton, he regularly published letters to the editor in the Daily Hampshire Gazette, commenting on world events, supporting the U.S. Postal Service (the USPS union newsletter deemed Sid “the Post Office Guy”) and sharing his deep appreciation for the positive role that government can play in people’s lives. Sidney had a deep love for classical music, literature and philosophy, and he brought this interest to all aspects of his life.
He is survived by his wife Miriam and children Paul (Craig Miller) and Julia (Mark Horwitz), three grandchildren Sarah, Eliza, and Benjamin Moss-Horwitz, and nieces and nephews. Sidney lived happily at the Lathrop Community in Northampton with Miriam, and had a warm circle of friends there.
Sidney’s funeral will be held at Congregation B’nai Israel at 253 Prospect Street in Northampton on Friday, July 4, at 2:00 p.m.
Memorial donations may be made to the Philadelphia Bread and Roses Community Fund at https://breadrosesfund.org/donate/ or the American Friends Service Committee Northeast Regional Office at https://secure.afsc.org/a/sign-email-updates-afscs-northeast-region .