John Caldwell Osgood

***The funeral service for Friday June 24th at All Saints Episcopal Church has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. If you have any questions or concerns please call or email the Funeral Home ([email protected], 413-538-4642)***

John Caldwell Osgood (1924-2022)

John Caldwell Osgood (EdD) died peacefully at his home in South Hadley on June 15, 2022, aged 98. He is survived by his wife of 69 years Mary Alice Compton, his two children Elizabeth Osgood Yates (Michael) and Whitfield Compton Osgood (Frisha Hugessen), five grandchildren Kathleen, Adrian and Margaret Osgood and Timothy and Sarah Yates, and three great-grandchildren, Louise Yates, and Harlyn and Juniper Osgood.

John Osgood was born in Newton Mass on January 8, 1924, the eldest of three children of Herman and Elizabeth Osgood. He spent many fondly remembered summers at their house in Gloucester Massachusetts.  He enlisted in the army at age 18 serving in France during WW 11,  earning the Bronze Star for bravery under fire. After the war, he taught Mathematics and coached swimming at Hebron Academy, Maine, before returning to Harvard to complete a doctorate in education. At Harvard he met and later married Mary Alice Compton of Demopolis Alabama. They moved to South Hadley when Dr Osgood took a position at Mount Holyoke College where he remained until his retirement in 1986.  He taught there in the Department of Education and Psychology and was instrumental in ensuring Mount Holyoke was accredited for teacher education. He served for many years on the Massachusetts Board for the Registration of Psychologists. One Mount Holyoke graduate recently remembered Prof Osgood as the kindest man she had ever met.

He spent time at the University of Cape Town in 1964 and was supported by the US-South African Leadership Exchange Program. He and Mary Alice hosted many African academicians through the years and enjoyed dinner time discussions on comparative education and development.

John Osgood was an active member in the South Hadley community. He served on the  South Hadley School Board and the Zoning Board for many years.  John Osgood belonged to All Saints Episcopal Church where he was a founding member, helping built the original church in the 1960s.   He was a member of “The Club” for decades, presenting papers on some favorite topics including the psychology of the stock market, steam trains, and stamps.

He and Mary Alice were avid travelers visiting over 100 countries. He spent many hours in churches and museums, often studying his German phrase book waiting for Mary Alice.

John Osgood will be remembered as a generous, loving and supportive husband, father, grandfather, colleague, teacher and friend.  He liked the word prudent and took civic and family responsibilities very seriously. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends.

A funeral service will be held at All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Woodbridge Street, South Hadley on Friday June 24 at 3:00 pm. An interment is planned at Mount Auburn, Cambridge in the family plot at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the charity of your choice in memory of John.