Alfred Osborne
Alfred E. Osborne | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | May 23, 1907 St. John's, Antigua |
| Died | August 14, 1992 Irvine, California, USA |
| NSA member | Central America 1957 - 1959 Panama 1961 - 1964 |
| Counsellor | Central America 1968 - 1980 |
Alfred Elderfield Osborne, Sr. (May 23, 1907 - August 14, 1992) was the second Bahá'í of Panama. He served on the National Spiritual Assembly of Panama, and as a Continental Counsellor for Central America.
Biography[edit]
Alfred was born in the West Indies, but was raised in Panama. In 1923 he moved from Panama to Chicago, Illinois, to attend Hyde Park High School, and lived there until completing a bachelor's degree in philosophy in 1931. He became a naturalized citizen of the United States during this time.
In 1939 Alfred was introduced to the Faith by Mathew Kaszab, a pioneer, who spoke to him after a talk Alfred gave on immortality. He became a Bahá'í in 1941 after also meeting Louise Caswell and Cora Oliver. In 1944 he attended the All-America Centennial Convention in Chicago with Cora Oliver and delivered a talk, and he was appointed to a committee responsible for writing a message to Shoghi Effendi from the Convention.[1]
In 1943 Alfred married Ditta Barnett Shirley of Panama. They returned to the United States in 1946 so that Alfred could complete a master of arts degree at Columbia University.
He served on the National Spiritual Assembly of Central America and Mexico in the 1950s.[2] In 1961 he was elected to the inaugural National Spiritual Assembly of Panama as Chairman,[3] and he attended the first Bahá'í World Congress as an Assembly member in 1963 where he cast a vote for the inaugural Universal House of Justice. He assisted Borrah Kavelin in securing the site of the Panama Temple in the 1960s.
In 1968 Alfred was appointed as an inaugural Counsellor on the Continental Board for Central America, a body formed to fulfill the functions of the Hands of the Cause indefinitely. He served as Counsellor until 1980 when the Continental Board of Central America was merged with the Boards of North and South America.
In 1982 he moved to Irvine, California, with Ditta and served on the Local Spiritual Assembly of Irvine and as an assistant to Auxiliary Board members. He passed away at home in Irvine in 1992. The Universal House of Justice conveyed the following message following his passing:
SADDENED LEARN PASSING OUTSTANDING RESOLUTE PROMOTER FAITH GOD ALFRED OSBORNE. RECORD HIS DISTINGUISHED SERVICES, ESPECIALLY AS CONTINENTAL COUNSELLOR CENTRAL AMERICA, IMPERISHABLE, PRAYING FERVENTLY HOLY THRESHOLD ADVANCEMENT HIS NOBLE SOUL IN KINGDOM ON HIGH. KINDLY EXTEND OUR HEARTFELT SYMPATHY AND CONDOLENCES MEMBERS HIS DISTINGUISHED FAMILY. ADVISING NATIONAL ASSEMBLY PANAMA ARRANGE BEFITTING MEMORIAL MEETING HIS MEMORY MOTHER TEMPLE LATIN AMERICA.
References[edit]
- Obituary in Baha'i World, In Memoriam Insert 1992-1997, p 8.
External Links[edit]
- Alfred Elderfield Alexander Osborne on WikiTree - family tree
Notes[edit]
- ↑ https://bahai.works/Baha%27i_News/Issue_170/Text#pg5
- ↑ Baha'i News (July 1957). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 317, Pg(s) 9. View as PDF.
- ↑ Baha'i News (July 1961). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 364, Pg(s) 6. View as PDF.
