Otis E. “Emmet” Osgood, Jr.
1938-2023
Emmet Osgood was born to Johanna and Otis E. Osgood, Sr. in Oklahoma City on January 26, 1938. He attended Rosary Elementary School and Catholic High School in Oklahoma City.
He became an entrepreneur at age 12, leading ponies for the Shepherd Family Pony Ride (where Shepherd Mall now sits) and managing the business at 13. As a teenager he taught ballroom dancing at John-Lee School of Dance and at 16 opened his own television repair business. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force Reserve where he earned the rank of Technical Sergeant in Radio Operations. He graduated from Central State College with his BS and MS and earned his doctorate from Oklahoma State University.
A born teacher, he joined the staff at Draughan’s School of Business where he taught Electronics and soon began his 33-year career at the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) serving as Department Chair of Technology Education. He retired from UCO as a full-professor after receiving many awards including UCO merit awards and Teacher Educator of the Year from Oklahoma Career Tech.
He loved construction and could design, build, or fix almost anything. His last business was selling custom designing, fabricating, and repairing jewelry. He volunteered his time as a guest lecturer for the UCO jewelry classes. He was very creative and innovative with diverse abilities and ideas. Teaching at every opportunity, he frequently illustrated his fix-it solutions by scribbling on paper napkins as he visited with friends over morning coffee.
He married Virginia M. Simon in 1963 and together they raised two sons, Chris and Steve, who grew up in the home he and Virginia built in Edmond, Oklahoma. Their oldest son Chris and his wife Bernadette Tierney were blessed with four children: Dan (husband) to Sarah Caudill, Matt, Becca (wife to Kyle Sander) and Shannon. Steve, Emmet and Virginia’s youngest son, is the father of Dylan (husband to Kenzie Moore), Kenzy, Wyatt and Miller. Emmet was extremely proud to be “Papa” to his eight grandchildren and three great grandchildren. He loved bragging about the many accomplishments of his children and grandchildren (Wade, Stanley and Jennings).
Emmet was baptized a Catholic as an infant and tried to live his faith in every area of his life. He was a founding member of St. Monica Parish where he served as Building Committee Chair for both the Parish Hall and Church. He returned to his Edmond “home” parish of St. John the Baptist where he served on the Building Project Committee overseeing multiple projects. He attended daily Mass for decades and was a man of prayer and reflection.
His heavenly Father took Emmet to Heaven on the Sixtieth Anniversary of his marriage to Virginia, January 19, 2023.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the St. John Samaritan House.
Public visitation will be held Tuesday, January 24th, 2023 at Matthews Funeral Home from 1:00pm to 8:00pm with a Wake service starting at 6:00pm.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Thursday, January 26th, 2023, at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church beginning at 11:00am with interment to follow at 2:30pm at Resurrection Memorial Cemetery, Oklahoma City, OK.