Ex-Marine Chris Moses with his veterinary surgeon wife, Joanne.
By Democrat reporter
A popular Vale of Leven Academy school teacher whose wife is a highly regarded veterinary surgeon in the Helensburgh area died suddenly in Rhu on Sunday.
Former Faslane-based Royal Marine, Chris Moses, 37, collapsed while helping out on a tree surgery project in Rhu.
His deeply shocked wife, Joanne, the clinical director of a busy veterinary surgeon’s practice, was being comforted at home by friends today and making preparations for her husband’s funeral.
Tributes have been paid on social media to Chris, a “bright, cheerful and handsome” young teacher who chose teaching as a profession after leaving the military.
He had worked for a time as a professional tree surgeon before deciding his career was in teaching, and he was very popular at the Vale Academy, where he taught.
An air ambulance and police rushed to the scene of the tragedy at around 3.35pm after the alarm was raised and Chris’s sudden death was reported.
The professional tree surgeon, from Cardross, was embarking on a new career as a maths teacher at the Vale of Leven Academy.
Chris Moses – athletics was one of his great passions.
He had previously served for 13 years as a Royal Marine, with whom he did tours in troubled Iraq and Afghanistan.
This week, Academy head teacher Matthew Boyle paid tribute to Chris and told how he will be missed by colleagues and pupils at the Alexandria school.
Mr Boyle told the Lennox Herald : “We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Chris and everyone in the school is finding this difficult to comprehend.
“The thoughts of our whole school community are with Chris’s family and friends at this devastating time.
“Chris had been working here at the Academy for almost a year, initially as a student and then as a probationer.
“He was bright, cheerful, and passionate about his new career in teaching and his chosen subject, maths.
“He was a lovely man and will be missed both by colleagues and the pupils he worked with across the school.
“We’ve held assemblies in the school for each year group today to pass on the sad news.
“Our pastoral care team is on hand for any young person who needs support, and we’re also working closely with staff to support them.”
As well as teaching, Chris was a professional tree surgeon and ran the Cardross-based firm Easy as One Two Tree.
His company webpage states: “Whilst serving, he completed his tree surgery qualifications and has been working for various people since then.
“He loves nothing better than working hard and completing challenging tree work.”
An experienced runner, Chris was also club president at Helensburgh AAC and competed in races including the Loch Lomond 10K last summer.
Kevin Johnson, race director and chairman of the Babcock 10k series, paid tribute to his close friend, describing him as a “young man in the prime of his life”.
Kevin coached Chris around 10 years ago and the pair worked together organising the race events.
He said: “He will leave a huge hole in the hearts of all who knew him.
“He was a very brave man who served his country as a Royal Marine, a professional and diligent tree surgeon and a newly qualified teacher, who was also a highly regarded tutor.
“Those who knew him will remember him as having wonderful integrity and spirit.
“He was the kind of person who would do anything for anyone. Chris was a young man in the prime of his life.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “A 37-year-old man died and his death is being treated as non-suspicious. A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.”