Category: Obituary: O

The Rev. Dr. W. Mason Olds died on March 11, 2022, at the age of 89.

W. Mason is survived by his wife of 63 years, Marjorie; daughter, Catherine; son, D. Mason; and grandson, Cameron; as well as two sisters, Kaye Tolbert and Ann Matthews. He was preceded in death by his mother, Ruth Snyder, and by his brother, Warner Olds.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Mercer University, 1501 Mercer University Drive, Macon, GA 31207.  UURMaPA will contribute $50 to the UUMA Endowment Fund in honor of our colleague’s ministry.

Notes of condolences can be written here.

A more complete obituary will be forthcoming after biographical research has been completed.

Peggy Owens-Mansfield

Peggy Frances Owens-Mansfield, 69, the spouse of the Reverend Dr. Doak Mansfield, died 24 February 2020, at her home in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. A native of Mississippi, she was born 14 June 1950 to Norris and Clara Owens. After completing high school, Peggy graduated from Jones College and from the University of Southern Mississippi.

Her public life largely revolved around her work for the American Red Cross. Beginning with her decade of service as youth director for the Pensacola Chapter of the ARC (1975-85,) she took a special interest in the Red Cross Youth Program. She led the highly successful annual Leadership Training Conference (LTC) for 35 years. More than 1,200 youth participated over the years. She expanded Red Cross services for the elderly through annual holiday boxes of food.

Peggy served for 26 years (1985-2011) as executive director of the Pine Belt Red Cross in Laurel, MS. She was involved in many community efforts and organizations. The Pine Belt Chapter recruited and trained more than 1,000 volunteers under her leadership. During her tenure, the chapter responded to hundreds of small disasters such as house fires and several huge ones, topped off by Hurricane Katrina. Pine Belt volunteer responded to New York City after the attack on the World Trade Center on 11 September 2001.

“Lonesome Pines Bluegrass Park” in the Calhoun Community was the effort of her family. She worked with her father, mother and sister, along with dozens of family and friends to make the semi-annual event a significant celebration that featured such bluegrass greats as Jim and Jessie, Allison Kraus, Osbornes, and Ralph Stanley. Operated for 20 years, the last eight years it was a Pine Belt Chapter ARC fundraiser.

She was a member of Our Home Universalist Unitarian Church Ellisville, MS. Retiring in 2011 she traveled with her husband serving Unitarian Universalist Churches in Clinton, N.C., Tampa, Fla., Pasco, Wash., and Valparaiso, Fla.

Peggy is survived by her husband, and by several nieces, nephews, and cousins. Gifts in her memory can be directed to St. Jude Hospital (Memphis), Glory House Food Project (Laurel), Jones College Community Service Scholarship Fund (Ellisville) and Animal Rescue League (Laurel).

George Scott Orfald

George “Scott” Orfald was adopted as an infant by George and Dorothy Orfald of Minneapolis in 1933. He died at the age of 86 on July 26 2019, at Extendicare Peterborough (Ontario, Canada).

Family man, social worker (child and family services), community volunteer, cottager, lover of classical music and jazz, avid reader, intellectual and humanist; always a lover of animals, Scott had pets all his life (dogs, cats) without which life was incomplete. With sadness, we have seen him lose connection with so many things that brought him joy in recent years. He sometimes challenged us with his fierce independence and held on to his dignity as long as he could. He cherished his family, he expressed appreciation to his caregivers, and we are all better people for having known him and loved him.

Grieving the loss and also celebrating the love we shared are his wife, Anne Orfald; children, David (Debby Clarke), Catherine (Steev Morgan), Susan (Paul Duchene); grandchildren, Jamie (Marissa), Hannah (Jamie), Terra, Rowan, Devin and Walker; great-grandchildren, Fen, Robin and Ellie; sister, Sally (Jim Burns), and extended family and friends in the US and Canada.

Memorial donations that would honour Scott’s life are: Unitarian Fellowship of Peterborough (Ontario), any animal welfare agency, any child and family service, any environmental or peace initiative.

“I have always admired your relationship with animals and your caring for nature and the environment. I hope that you see these traits reflected in your family, because I know that they are there.” [letter from a grandchild]

The Reverend Clark Olsen—parish minister and non-profit consultant, whose life was enduringly stamped by his witness of the 1965 murder of UU minister James Reeb during the Selma witness for racial justice—died on 21 January 2019, aged 85.

The Rev’d Mr. Olsen was serving in Berkeley CA in 1965 when Dr. King famously put out the call to American clergy to join him in Selma for protest and presence. “I’d like to go,” was his first thought, despite a packed schedule and no funds for the trip. But when a couple in the congregation offered to pay his way, “I suddenly had to rethink all those excuses.”

Once there, he ran into ministerial colleagues, James Reeb and Orloff Miller, and as they left a local café, they were brutally attacked. Reeb died from his injuries two days later. Over the years, Clark returned to Selma ninety times to share his story with middle and high school students whose travel was sponsored by civil rights groups to promote understanding of those historic events. In 2015 Mr. Olsen received the UUA’s Award for Distinguished Service.

Clark Bird Olsen was born on 22 June 1933 in Boston to Arthur W. and Catherine Bird Olsen and grew up in Toledo OH. He earned a B.A. from Oberlin College (OH) in 1955 and completed ministerial study at Harvard in 1959. Following his father’s profession, he began in 1957 as a student minister to the First Unitarian Society of Westborough (MA), was ordained by them on 28 October 1959 and continued there until 1962. Parish settlements then followed at the Berkeley (CA) Fellowship of UUs (1962–68) and the Morristown (NJ) Unitarian Fellowship (1968–78). In the 1980s, he shifted his career to corporate and non-profit consulting.

At his death, Clark was survived by his second wife, Anna (Rogers) Olsen, children Marika and Todd, and brother Lee. A memorial service was scheduled for 2 February 2019 at the UU Congregation of Asheville NC. Notes of condolences may be sent to Anna Olsen at 23C Trillium Ct, Asheville NC 28805. 

Judith Brown Osgood

The Rev. Judith Brown Osgood, 66, died June 4, 2009 at Milford Region Medical Center, Milford, MA. Born in Connecticut, she earned degrees at the University of Hartford, St. Joseph College and Starr King. An inner city, outpatient drug and alcohol treatment program director, she was called to the UU ministry. She was honored with the UUWF’s Feminist Theology Award for researching and collecting sermons of Pacific Coast lay and clergywomen. She served congregations in WY, MA, and CT, while still doing counseling. She found her true calling as a hospice chaplain. At the time of her death she was employed by Jewish Health Services in Worcester, MA. Judith trained with her yellow Lab, Thompson, to work in a reading education program (teams encourage children to read by having the dogs present as non-judgmental listeners). She was a life member of the United States Tennis Association, who loved spending time with her grandchildren and her Lab. She also made time to enjoy gardening, fishing, and was a Red Sox fan. Survivors include her life partner Wendy Innis; her children, Daphne Lynn Sanford and Benjamin Ward Dunning; her brother and four grandchildren.

Janet Hooper Osborn, widow of the Rev. David Osborn, died Dec. 22, 2004, in Albuquerque, NM where she and David had moved after retirement from the ministry. Janet served as national co-chair of the Volunteer Service Corps to UUSC Board and later as consultant to the Volunteer Program. She had a passion for social justice. She retained her dignity and grace as her body became increasingly frail late in life.

The Rev. Dr. David P. Osborn died August 4, 2004, of complications from heart surgery. He served the North Shore Unitarian Universalist Society (now Shelter Rock), Manhasset, NY, and was minister emeritus there. He also served congregations in Brooklyn, NY; Marblehead, MA; Adelphi, MD; Paramus, NJ; and England. He was survived by his wife of 51 years, Janet Osborn.

The Rev. Howard Wayne Oliver, 85, died March 20, 2005. He served in the US Marine Corps during World War II, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He received a BA from Harvard, an MA from UCLA, and an MA from the Graduate School of Religion, University of Southern California. He served congregations in Los Angeles; Silver Spring, MD; and Berkeley, CA. He joined the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists in 1973 and served as Executive and National Director until his retirement in 1986. Surviving is his wife of 50 years, Joyce Oliver; three children, Kimberley, Pamela and Peter; and two grandchildren.

The Rev. Margaret Odell, 94, died May 28, 2007, following a stroke. She served congregations as a religious educator in Wellesley Hills, and Worcester, MA; Germantown, PA; Princeton, NJ; Alexandria and Reston, VA; and Columbia, MD, where she was named minister emerita in 1983. She was educational consultant in the Ohio-Meadville District 1968-1977. She participated in organizing the Liberal Education Directors Association and served as LREDA president from 1953-1955. In 1974 she was awarded the Angus MacLean award for excellence in religious education. A memorial service was held at the UU Congregation of Columbia on July 8.