Lakewood Ranch's Bob Moffitt let his music do the talking

Friends of Bob Moffitt said the Greenbrook resident was a man of few words. Music was his preferred language. 

At 12 years old, he was introduced to the accordion and quickly swapped out the clunky instrument for something much sleeker — the saxophone. 

Throughout his life, Moffitt entertained audiences from Lakewood Ranch's Remy’s on Main to as far away as Chu Lai, Vietnam. 

Moffitt died of a stroke Feb. 11, just three days before his 79th birthday. He’s survived by his wife, Debra Moffitt, and children, Jessica and Shannon Moffitt.

The Moffitts were one of the first 100 families to move to Lakewood Ranch in 1996, and it was only because they were lost. They had to turn around at the information center off Lakewood Ranch Boulevard. 

With their child, Jessica, in the car, Summerfield Park was next door, so the couple decided to stop, and they decided to buy.

They moved from Summerfield to Greenbrook years later, but never left Lakewood Ranch. 

Courtesy image

Bob Moffitt shared his love for music with his new community, as he gave lessons at Fogt’s Music and also created his own preschool music program, Beginning Steps to Music. 

Joe Thayer, another local musician who played with Moffitt, described him as everything you would look for in a bandmate — generous, warm and talented. 

While most of Moffitt’s time on stage was spent playing the saxophone, Thayer also admired his “really cool voice.” 

“He was a terrific singer,” Thayer said. “When Bob would sing his ‘Mustang Sally’ medley, it was a highlight.”

Moffitt knew how to get a crowd going, no matter the setting. He drove tanker trucks filled with fuel for the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War in 1969, but when given the opportunity, he auditioned for the Command Military Touring Shows. 

With the band, Shades of Jade, Moffitt drowned out the sounds of explosions, if only for a couple hours. 

After playing at Song Be Base Camp, he told a military reporter, “They dropped us in with a generator for our stuff, and we played within a circle of six armored personnel carriers.”

Later in life, Moffitt gave back by playing his saxophone at local nursing homes. Thayer noted that he also used to invite his friends from the Vietnam Brotherhood in Sarasota to their shows. 

When fellow Vietnam veteran Al Garcia showed up to hear him play at Remy’s about four years ago, Moffitt “ordered” him to go get his harmonica out of the car and play with them on stage. 

Up to that moment, Garcia had only played his harmonica during basement jam sessions with his buddies. He was intimidated that first night, but thanks to Moffitt, Garcia still plays his harmonica at Remy’s on Thursday nights.

“I miss him a lot already,” Garcia said.