Longtime Realtor in Sumter remembered for honesty, integrity

A man with strong ties to the Temple Sinai Jewish History Center died at the age of 101.

Sumter native Robert Altamont Moses, a veteran and longtime Realtor in the community, died Nov. 26, 2022.

Moses was known as a successful Realtor in Sumter alongside his brother, Herbert, and his father, Henry. Together, they owned Henry O. Moses Co., a real estate and insurance firm that was on South Main Street.

Steve Creech, former mayor of Sumter, said he knew Moses through their parents; the Creech and Moses families were close for decades. He recalled his longtime friend coming back after World War II and getting into the real estate and insurance business with his father.

According to Creech, Moses went into real estate appraising - something Moses was successful at. According to The Sumter Item archives, Moses was among the first in the state to obtain a Member of the Appraisal Institute.

With decades of dedication to his work and his neighbors, Moses served the community in many capacities outside of helping families find their forever homes.

According to his obituary, Moses attended The Citadel and graduated as part of the Class of 1942. He then enlisted in the U.S. Army as a second lieutenant in the infantry and served as a pilot. He completed his 20 years of service as a reservist and retired from the Air Force Reserves as a major.

He was also a family man, raising five daughters with his first wife, Harriett Pace, and a man of religion; he was a longtime member of Temple Sinai, Sumter's only synagogue.

"They were part of the backbone of our Jewish community," Creech said. "One of Robert's projects in his later years is what we will do with the Temple Sinai. He was concerned what would happen with the temple."

In his later years, Moses was concerned about the temple's future and worked with the late Roger Ackerman in preserving its history and presence in the community. Creech said their collaboration, along with several others in the community, led to a partnership with the Sumter County Museum to create the Temple Sinai Jewish History Center.

Ray Reich, a member of Temple Sinai and friend of Moses for more than 40 years, shared that Moses was a true man of faith. Before his death, Moses asked Reich to conduct his funeral service since Sumter didn't have a rabbi.

"Typically a rabbi would conduct a funeral service; however, through the past years, the congregation of Temple Sinai has diminished significantly in size as members have passed away and their children have moved to other areas," Reich said in an email. "Because we are such a small congregation, we no longer have a rabbi, and Robert wanted someone to preside over his funeral that knew him as opposed to bringing in a rabbi from out of town to do the service that didn't know Robert or the family."

According to Reich, Moses loved Temple Sinai - it was an important part of his life.

"I think many would have considered him our temple historian," Reich said. "When people from the Sumter community wanted to tour the temple and view these beautiful windows, Robert would be called upon to tell them about the history of the temple and about the windows. He was very active until his health no longer allowed him to do the tours."

Moses' nephew, Dr. Henry Phillips Moses, a surgeon at Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital, seconded that his uncle was a man of deep faith and his death left a void in the family.

He remembered his uncle as a kind, considerate human who was full of knowledge. One of his fondest memories with him was Moses' favorite place to visit in South Carolina.

"He had a particular love for the Pawleys Island area; he taught me how to flounder fish," Moses' nephew said. "One of the many he imparted to me. His love for the outdoors, especially the beach. It was one of his happiest times when he was down there."