David Vaun Moffat

David Vaun Moffat passed this life peacefully on January 12, 2026, surrounded by family. 

David had a quick wit and loved making people laugh. His keen mind and genuine curiosity about the world guided his life. He was extremely well-read and well-informed and he enjoyed debating his strongly-held beliefs that evolved from his scholarship. His interests of study were wide-ranging, from foreign languages (Ancient Greek, German, Russian, Latin, Spanish, Ancient Egyptian), sign language, science, economics, philosophy, atheism, religion and politics to art and music, Thomas Jefferson, the Shakespeare authorship question (settling on Edward de Vere) to name a few. He was a talented woodworker, designing and building beautiful furniture. He built architectural models using Legos, traveled the neighborhood walking or bicycling on his old-fashioned blue Schwinn with pedal brakes, enjoyed crosswords, and wrote interesting letters to family and friends punctuated with amusing observations. 

A resident of Chapel Hill, NC since 1974, David was born in Detroit, Michigan on November 23, 1944. He majored in Mechanical Engineering and graduated from Cass Technical High School in 1963. 

A Vietnam-era veteran David served two years in the U.S. Army. After exploring archaeology, geology, anthropology and several other majors, he earned an B.A. in Mathematics in 1972 and an M.S. in Computer Science in 1974 from Wayne State University in Detroit. 

He began a career in computing in 1974 at the “Comp Center” in the basement of Phillips Hall at UNC Chapel Hill. He taught Computer Science for 10 years at N. C. State University and developed software at several private companies, before starting his own company, glps, to create foreign-language software and designed one of the first Cyrillic keyboards. He returned to UNC Chapel Hill where he developed educational software in ITS Teaching and Learning before his retirement. 

In 1975 he met his future wife, Susie. They were married in June 1977. Every year David remembered and made sure to celebrate the anniversary of their first date. When their daughter Meghan was born, David embraced everything about fatherhood. He was devoted to his family and they to him. 

Beloved by many he is survived by his devoted wife of 48 years Patricia “Susie” Beard Moffat, Chapel Hill, NC, and their loving daughter Meghan Laurel Beckmann (Owen Beckmann), Asheville, NC. 

Other family include his youngest siblings Monica Moffat, Tryon, NC; Mitchell Moffat, M.D. (Norma Moffat), Bradenton, FL; and Melanie L. Moffat (John Powers), Owens Cross Roads, AL; sisters-in-law Rebecca Wilson (John Wilson), N. Myrtle Beach, SC; Judith Beard, Fayetteville, NC; Cynthia Beard, Fayetteville, NC; and many nieces, nephews and extended family members. 

David was predeceased by his parents, Charles Howard Moffat, Jr. (Detroit, MI, 1973) and Madonna Rodgers Moffat (Ft. Myers, FL, 2012), and older siblings Charles Howard Moffat, III (Detroit, MI, 1974) and Ann Kathleen Moffat (Coeur d’Alene, ID, 2025). 

A memorial service is planned for a later date. 

The family wishes to extend heartfelt thanks to the friends, neighbors, caregivers and medical professionals who impacted David’s life during his later years, especially Dr. Christopher Klipstein at UNC Health Internal Medicine for his compassionate care. Thanks to Mr. Quantai Jones of Visiting Angels for his dedicated caregiving. 

The family suggests that anyone choosing to honor David with a memorial gift may consider organizations that were meaningful to him: the Ackland Art Museum, local Parkinson’s research, or North Carolina Botanical Garden. 

Ackland Art Museum: 
Make a Gift (click here to donate online)
Ackland Art Museum
Campus Box 3400
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3400

Local Parkinson's Research & Outreach:
Make a Gift (click here to donate online)
Or mail a check to the address below; on the memo line, please write "For the Parkinson's program, in memory of David Moffat"
UNC Health Foundation
123 W. Franklin Street, Suite 510
Chapel Hill, NC 27516

North Carolina Botanical Garden:
Tribute Gift Form (click here to print a donation form to send with your check; please indicate to use funds wherever the need is greatest, and on the check's memo line write "For the NC Botanical Garden, in memory of David Moffat")
Attention: Development Assistant
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Campus Box 3375
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3375