Dr. Alan Lee Mosley passed away after a long illness at the age of 83 in Helena, Montana on Thursday March 5, 2026, surrounded by family.

Alan was born in New York City, grew up in the Bronx and graduated from the Bronx School of Science and was awarded a full scholarship to a New York University. He then went to Southern California to work for his Uncle and when seeing the ocean, surfing and the girls in bikinis he told his mom to “send my stuff”. He became a California resident at 18 and began his Pre-Med studies at San Diego State College. He met his first wife, Iris Strom, at the Jewish Community Center in El Cajon and they married in 1964. They moved to Newport Beach where he graduated from Long Beach State, was accepted into the first graduating class of medical students at University of California Irvine. He and his wife had 2 daughters, Keirre da Luz born in 1968 of San Diego, California, and Ixchel Mosley, DVM, born in 1970 of El Cajon, California. Alan began his doctoring as an Emergency Room Physician in Los Angeles, California where he started a program to train paramedics on life-saving procedures and established emergency rooms in several small hospitals in the area. At the request of many patients, he established a private family practice near Woodruff Community Hospital in Long Beach, California. He served as Chief of Staff at Woodruff Community Hospital from 1984-1985 and retired in 1996 after having disabling surgery. He met his wife, Patsy Ann, while working at Woodruff Community Hospital where she was a nurse and they married in 1977 in Helena, Montana.

Alan was active from a very young age. He was a Cub Scout, Boy Scout, played stickball with his childhood friends and was a high school swimmer. He enjoyed handball, racquetball, pickleball, off road jeeping, travel, golf and sailing. Throughout their many travels some of his favorites were playing golf at the St. Andrews Old Course in Scotland, sailing the Mediterranean on a Turkish Gullet and a tour of the Galapagos Islands both with yacht club friends, and celebrating their 20th Wedding Anniversary on an Alaskan Cruise.

Alan was a very dedicated physician and was on call to his patients 24/7. The only reprieve was sailing to Catalina Island every other weekend during the summers. As avid sailors, he and Patsy became members of the Corsair Yacht Club in June 1986 whose facilities were on the West End of Catalina Island. He served as Commodore in 1994 and was an honorary member for the remainder of his life. He began his offshore sailing experience by participating in 12 consecutive races from Long Beach, California to Ensenada, Mexico. He and his yacht club buddies raced Sedona (43-foot Taswell Sloop) from San Diego, California to Las Hadas, Manzanillo in Mexico in 1994. There was no wind and he was embarrassed being the last boat to cross the finish line. He and Patsy sold their all their belongings, bid their friends “ado” in the summer 1997 and began a 7-1/2 year yacht cruising lifestyle sailing Mexico and the South Pacific Islands. Like many cruising physicians he kept a full array of medical supplies onboard and was called upon from time to time to do “doctoring” among fellow cruisers and the natives of the various islands they traveled to. Alan had always wanted to have his yacht tied to the Quay in Papeete, Tahiti and spending a month there they flew to Easter Island for a 3-day tour. They tried to follow the passage of Captain Cook and in the Great Barrier Reef climbed Cook’s Look, the highest mountain on Liberty Island. One of his favorite islands was the Northern Cook Island of Suvarov, where they feasted on coconut crabs and cold beer.

After traveling to many other islands, they sailed from the Kingdom of Tonga to New Zealand where they spent 18 mos exploring both the North and South Island. From there they made their way up to Fiji Islands and over Vanuatu where they first learned about the 9/11 attack on the U.S. They then visited New Caledonia where they were surprised to see a huge tribute from the local Fire Department to all of the fallen Fire Fighters of 9/11 where they stood and cried. They then sailed to Australia where they docked at the marina in Mooloolaba which served as their home base as they traveled up and down the Great Barrier Reef for the next 2 years. Their final sail was to the Louisiade Archipelago Islands off of Papua New Guinea where Patsy acquired malaria and received Chinese herbs that eventually cured her. They returned to Australia, sold their beloved Sedona and their car to Australian yachtsmen and returned to the U.S. as they were expecting their second grandchild. Their next adventure was the purchase of a “land yacht”. Their favorite being the 43-foot American Allegiance Coach where they explored and tried to follow the trail of Louis and Clark. After a year of travels and Patsy in need of her own dirt, they decided to settle in Palm Desert and bought a condo where they lived for 17 years. During that time, Alan worked with his brother co-owning a Papa Dan’s Pizza restaurant franchise. They would spend summers traveling the Pacific Northwest and eventually purchased a lot in the Golfing Community of Stoneridge in the Motorcoach Village as their summer base. They became members of FMCA 4-Wheelers and spent their time off roading across the Western States. They then moved to Helena, Montana in 2021 to be near Patsy’s family.

Alan truly enjoyed all the various groups of friends he’d made along the way from sailing, to golf, to jeeping, and anything in between. He was loved by many and liked by even more and will be missed. He had a biting sense of humor which he possessed until he took his final leave peacefully.

Alan is survived by his wife of 48 years, Patsy Ann Mosley, two daughters, Keirre da Luz and Ixchel Mosley, four grandchildren, Leo and Samantha da Luz and Quinn and Devi Ferreira, his brother and brother-in-law, Ira Mosley and Dan DeMarre, his sister-in-law, Merry Lou Casteel, and his nephew and niece, Charles Casteel and Kellie Ann Casteel-Lassila.

Burial at sea and celebration of life will be held with his yacht club in Southern California this coming July. RIP Dr. Mosley.