Who is W.K.?
You might not know the name of Max Leslie Moser, but he is not someone you would ever forget once you have had the pleasure of his aquaintance. He is rail thin with an iconic curled up white mustache, and at least once a week you will see him dressed to the nines, many times with a fedora, but always with his ties; large, colorful, wild, wonderful bow ties.
His collection of bow ties include insects, muppets, sequins, crayons, glitter, yarn, burlap and troll dolls. With patterns of polka-dots, school busses, shamrocks, leopard print, paisley, herringbone, gingham, floral, and the stars and stripes. And the colors.... oh, the colors!
Ah, but there is so much more to Max than his bow ties. I have had the opportunity to get to know Max very well over the last decade as we have worked very closely together. As you meet Max, he stands and you get a hardy (often two-handed) handshake, but once he has your hand he brings you close, and looks into your eyes to say hello. That skinny arm with the boney well-worked hands is surprisingly strong, and that aged voice is light and upbeat. You feel quickly the magnitude and importance of this meeting.
Max is quick with a joke or a quip, often calling out to the local teenage boys, “Good morning ladies.” When the young men try to correct him to their gender Max would respond, “Sorry, I’m colorblind.”
If you talk to him much further you will get a his take on the neighborhood issues, or humorous or uplifting quotes, or a scripture.
Max’s late wife, Sherma, was no less a wonder and a character. She worried about you and your family, always looking for a way to serve the littlest and the most needful of the world and especially our neighborhood. She was generally on the look-out for dolls and stuffed animals she could rehabilitate, cleanup, sew-up and hand back out. Many, many stuffed animals and blankets made their way to the local fire stations for use to assist those little ones in need. Though she visited the fire station keep their boxes filled, she was just as apt to flirt with the firemen.
2 comments
Max is one
Oh, what a great surprise to find"W.K. Wilson" is actually a wonderful man from my childhood! I have great memories of Max… Always kind, always funny, such a hard worker and yes always crazy bowties! As a young girl, I was always intrigued with his handlebar mustache! What a small world we live in. It just goes to show you how we are all connected into one big family!