Obituary of Donald Moffitt

Donald Moffitt, 83, died Wednesday in Monroe. He was born in Boston and lived in Manhattan for a number of years working as a public relations executive, industrial filmmaker, and ghostwriter before moving to Monroe in the 1960s with his wife, Ann, who predeceased him in December 2005. In the late 1980s and '90s, having published fiction under an assortment of pen names, Don began writing and publishing the acclaimed science fiction novels for which he is best known: high-speed, high-tech stories sought by dedicated fans of hard-sci-fi adventure. He has been praised as a visionary novelist whose cosmic scope was immense––a prescient writer who anticipated Operation Immortality two decades before it was launched and invented the idea of music sampling on a Moog computer years before music sampling became everyday practice. His admirers included British science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke, who after reading The Jupiter Theft wrote that he found Moffitt’s imagination "astonishing" and his scientific accuracy that of a "professional scientist." Don continued writing stories and novels until his death, both time travel and historical mysteries, published in Analog Science Fiction and Fact and Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, among others. Some of his recent stories reflected his long interest in the history of Maine ships and sea captains and his admiration for Maine's people, their inventiveness and courage. Donald was moved by the unfailing generosity and kindness extended to him by neighbors and friends in Monroe and nearby communities. He is survived by his sister, Joan Larkin; his niece, Kate Larkin, and her husband, Johann Larkin, of Brooklyn, New York; and his brother-in-law, James Tierney, of Auburn. A Spring memorial service at Riposta Funeral Home, Belfast, will be held on May 16, 2015, at 11:00 a.m., followed by interment at Grove Cemetery. Condolences and memories are welcome and may be expressed online at http://www.ripostafh.com Memorial Service at Riposta Funeral Home on May 16, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. with a Committal service at Grove Cemetery Belfast, ME.