CBS News reports that award-winning journalist Charles Osgood, who anchored “CBS Sunday Morning” for 22 years and hosted the radio program “The Osgood File,” died today (1/23/2024) at his home in New Jersey. He was 91 and suffered with dementia.
Osgood was a gifted news writer, musician, poet and author. He spent 45 years at CBS News before retiring in September 2016. He began anchoring “CBS Sunday Morning” in 1994, earning the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Morning Program three times.
The CBS News article may be read HERE.
My brothers and sisters, for those who have forgotten that journalists can walk in decency, kindness and awareness of the beautiful things of life, such as art, music, poetry, love of nature (God’s creation) and yes, the love of people, there is Charles Osgood.
Osgood was one of a kind. A man who probably broke some “journalistic rules” of the day, but his sharp whit, keen awareness, modesty, style and kindness set the standard in many ways.
I pray that he is with the Lord right now, enjoying the indescribable beauty of heaven and especially being in the very manifest presence of God!
As someone who grew up the son of a potato broker/farmer in northern Maine (Aroostook County) during the 1970s, this writer remembers the absolute joy of working the potato harvest every fall. Back then, public schools all started a little early each year and let out in September for about three weeks so all the High School and Middle School students could participate in the harvest by picking potatoes – which provided some money to help us buy school clothes and maybe even a little treat or music album.
Times have changed and northern Maine schools no longer let out for harvest, and besides, mechanical harvesters have replaced the old, squeaky, tractor-pulled “digger” passing by all the empty potato barrels waiting to be filled, but I believe that Charles Osgood understood these simple and yet profound things about life. In fact, CBS Sunday Morning once did an entire segment about the northern Maine potato harvest!
With Osgood’s passing, it seems like a really good time to share about the beauty of God’s creation, including a simpler time of annual harvest, lifelong friendships and people willingly helping people! Some persons just seem to make others’ lives better. Charles Osgood was one of those persons.
Here is YouTube video from April 20, 2014 of Charles Osgood playing the piano and singing Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” on CBS Sunday Morning:
Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”
Zephaniah 3:17 (NKJV)
“The Lord your God in your midst, [t]he Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”
Praise Jesus forevermore!
