Neil Rufus Osgood

Neil was born in 1948, to Rufus and Elizabeth Osgood, who lived on a farm in the Flint Hills of Kansas. His mother, Elizabeth, died shortly after his birth, and Neil was raised by his aunt and uncle, Bernice and Howard Ford. He grew up in Marion, Kansas, where he graduated from high school and began a life that would take him from small-town Kansas to Germany, Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Pacific Grove, Albuquerque and eventually Plano, Texas.

Neil was a proud veteran of the United States Army and served in Germany. Over the years, his wide-ranging interests took him down more than a few different career paths. He moved to Kansas City, where he worked for the Santa Fe Railway. Later, he worked for America West and Mesa Airlines in Phoenix, Monterrey, CA, and Albuquerque before eventually settling in Plano, where he worked at Whole Foods Market. At Whole Foods Market, as with everywhere he went, Neil had a way of making friends. He was loved by his customers and coworkers, many of whom came to know the warmth, humor, and easy conversation that his family knew so well.

Neil never seemed to be short of a story. He had a wonderful sense of humor and an ability to turn the experiences of a well-lived life into stories worth telling, and often worth telling again. Those stories, and the laughter that so often accompanied them, were part of what made Neil, Neil.

At the center of Neil’s life was his wife, M. A. Hannifan, who preceded him in death. Neil loved M. A. deeply, and the life they shared together was extraordinarily important to him.

Neil's faith was also an important part of his life. He was a devoted member of Unity of Dallas and deeply valued the community and connections he found there.

Neil is survived by his brother Ronald Osgood and his wife, Becci, of Harrisonville, Missouri; his brother Paul Osgood and his husband, Jerry Cundiff, of Merriam, Kansas; and his sister Christine Miller and her husband David, of Parsons, Kansas. He is also survived by his niece Brooke Duff and her husband, Brad, and their daughters, Abby and Katie, of Overland Park, Kansas; his nephew Griffin Osgood of Parsons, Kansas, and nieces Carla Stovall Steckline and Donna Hart and their husbands. He is also survived by M. A.’s three children, their spouses, seven grandchildren, five great grandchildren, and beloved niece and nephew all of whom he also considered very much his own.

Neil was preceded in death by his wife, M. A. Hannifan; his biological parents, Rufus and Elizabeth Osgood; and the aunt and uncle who raised him, Bernice and Howard Ford, and their daughter, Juanita Stovall.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Unity of Dallas, 6525 Forest Lane, Dallas, TX on November 14, 2026 at 10:30 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made to Unity of Dallas.