Harry Wyckoff Osell

Harry Osell, a Stockton resident for 50 years, died peacefully at the San Joaquin Hospice House shortly after 2 pm on Monday, May 9 at the age of 73. His daughter Daphne and wife Frances were by his side. Although born in Georgia, he grew up in Bakersfield and lived his entire life in the San Joaquin Valley. His guiding principle in life was the importance of being in service to others. As a young man, he served in the U.S. Navy and worked as a postal carrier while completing his college degree at CSU-Sacramento, after which he began his teaching career. He taught at Arcohe Elementary School in Herald, CA, and at Filmore and Victory Elementary Schools in Stockton, where he brought art and poetry to his classrooms; for many years, one of his favorite class projects was helping students create stop-motion animated films. Harry retired from teaching in 2007. During his career, he also taught prisoners for the California Department of Corrections and served as a Court-Appointed Special Advocate for foster children with CASA of San Joaquin County. He was an active member of American Legion-Karl Ross Post no. 16, volunteered with the Stockton 4H club, and served on the California Retired Teachers Association after retirement. A devout Catholic, he was active on the committee to restore the steeple of St Mary’s Church downtown in the early 1980s, taught CCD at St Mary’s and later Annunciation for 30 years, and was well known at the St Mary’s High School, where he often attended weekday mass. In retirement, Harry, who had always loved the outdoors, was an avid gardener, becoming a Master Gardener for San Joaquin County. He helped create and maintain the water-wise garden and grounds at the Stockton Shelter for the Homeless, and cultivated an oasis of fruit trees, strawberries, vegetables and native plants for his grandchildren in the back yard of his home. Harry was at his best with young children: always patient, generous, and good-humored. He enjoyed close relationships with his grandchildren, Maya Osell, Fiona Cox, Linus Bluhm, Joe, Paul, Trista, and Melissa Letua, and his great grand-daughter, Ellie Letua. They will greatly miss his unconditionally loving presence. In recent years, he delighted in gardening, baking, cooking, and art activities with his youngest granddaughter, Fiona, and his his great-granddaughter Ellie. Harry is survived by his widow, Frances Osell, his stepdaughter Terry Letua, his daughters from a previous marriage, Tedra Osell and Daphne Osell, grandchildren Joe Letua, Paul Letua, Trista Letua, Melissa Letua, Maya Osell, Linus Bluhm, and Fiona Cox, and great-granddaughter Eliana Audrina Solorio Letua. On Wednesday 18 May, at 6:00 pm, a rosary will be said in his honor at the DeYoung Shoreline Chapel. A funeral mass will be held at 11:00 at the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Stockton. Please sign guestbook at www.deyoungchapels.com