Obituary of Ossie Lee Moorehead

ROCHESTER, NY – December 17, 2024 - US Navy Veteran Bro. Ossie Lee Moorehead was born in Columbus, Mississippi to the loving parents of the late Walter Moorehead and Bessie Kennedy Moorehead. On Tuesday, December 17, 2024, Bro. Ossie L Moorehead was called from labor to enter into eternal rest. Ossie was raised by a loving Christian family, and he accepted Christ at an early age, joining New Hope C.M.E. Church in Columbus, Mississippi. After relocating to Rochester, New York, Ossie joined Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church where he served as a dedicated Christian member and faithful servant until death. Ossie joined Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church under the leadership of Rev. Andrew N. Gibson. Ossie served as an Usher that greeted members and guests with love, Chairperson of the Personnel Committee, Treasurer of the Building Fund, and Treasurer of the C.I. Bullock Scholarship Committee. In working with the C.I. Bullock Scholarship Committee, Ossie enjoyed seeing and working with children to increase their education and lifelong learning goals. Many of the children knew Ossie as “Uncle Ossie.” Ossie also worked with the Department of Christian Education. He was a member of Bible Study, a member of the Adult Sunday School, a driver of the Church Van services, a passionate participant of the Memorial Prayer Call, a dedicated member of the Board of Trustee, where he served as Chairperson for twelve years. Ossie’s love for the church and his Christian faith have been demonstrated in many ways throughout the years at Memorial and the Rochester community. Bro. Ossie L. Moorehead was educated in the Columbus, MS Public School System and graduated from Robert E. Hunt High School. Ossie was a proud veteran who served in the United States Navy with dignity and honor. After his dedicated service, Ossie graduated from the National Meat Cutting School / Kurtz’s Meat Market in Toledo, Ohio and later moved to Rochester, New York. Ossie was employed at Wegmans Food Market for forty-three years. Ossie began his career in the Meat Department, promoted to Department Management and from there to Corporate Office where his responsibilities grew from Category Owner to Training, Quality Assurance, and the Culinary Innovation Center where he enjoyed tasting and selecting future products in the test kitchen. Ossie took great pride in his career and often drew upon his training from Wegmans to educate others about safety and food preparation. Ossie married his high school sweetheart, the love of his life, Thomasene Smith Moorehead. To this union of love and Holy Matrimony, two children were born, Dr. Creighton Moorehead and Chandra L. Moorehead. As a husband, father, grandfather, brother, and uncle, Ossie demonstrated leadership in the family as he connected in a way that touched many members of the family. Ossie committed his life to service, and in addition to being a member of the Urban League, he has been the recipient of several Service Awards, including the “Man of the Year Award” from Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church and the “Tasting for Excellence Award”. Ossie enjoyed preparing food for the masses. He prepared the reception meal for the Rochester community for those attending the Martin Luther King Day Celebration held in January. Ossie was a man who always did great deeds and very seldom if ever said “No” when asked to do something. His response would be, “I got it”. Ossie enjoyed helping others and always did his best to make everyone happy. Ossie Moorehead was a founding member and early pioneer of the Mississippi Group of Rochester, a community organization that brought together native Mississippians. As part of the leadership, the group flourished, hosting The Blues Nights, gatherings, scholarships, and annual picnics. His dedication and passion for fostering a sense of community and preserving the rich cultural heritage of Mississippi will be remembered and cherished by all who knew him. A man of great intellect, Ossie was an avid reader with a deep love for history, often watching documentaries and engaging in thoughtful discussions on various historical topics. In his leisure time, he cherished moments spent with family and friends, deeply loving his siblings, cousins, nieces, and nephews, and considered these gatherings one of life’s greatest joys, second only to his passion for travel. Ossie was an avid sports fan, enjoying a wide range of sporting events from college to professional levels. He was also skilled at playing cards and found true relaxation in watching westerns and old cowboy movies on television. His father (Walter), mother (Bessie), brothers (Theodric, Roy and Walter) preceded him in death. He leaves to cherish fond memories: his devoted wife, Thomasene of 54 years, Creighton; son, Chandra; daughter, grandson; Blake, two sisters: Helen Randolph of Columbus, MS; T. Eileen Kimbrew (Gerald) of Rochester, NY; three brothers: Willie of Lilburn, GA; Bennie (Ella) of Odessa, FL; Bobby (Grace) of Rochester, NY; sisters-in-law Dorothy Moorehead of Rochester, NY; Barbara Collins of Tampa, FL; Emma Nell Sherron of Columbus, MS, also nieces, nephews, cousins, godchildren, a caring pastor and church family, and a host of other relatives and friends. Ossie’s life reflected everlasting faith, continuing strength, unconditional love, immeasurable wisdom, and a loving heart. Ossie’s legacy of love, generosity, and wisdom will forever be cherished by his family and friends. May he rest in peace, embraced by the Lord’s eternal love. Matthew 25:23 (KJV): His lord said unto him. Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Friends may call Friday, December 27 from 4:00 – 7:00 PM and Saturday, December 28 from 10:00 – 11:00 AM at Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church, 549 Clarissa Street, Rochester, NY. The Funeral Service to Celebrate his life will immediately follow at 11:00 AM on Saturday. Interment Riverside Cemetery, Rochester, NY. The Moorehead Family is very appreciative of the calls, cards, and texts of support as we navigate this tremendous loss. Many of you have asked if there was something you can do during this time. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to one of the scholarship funds that were near and dear to my Father’s heart. He would be pleased to know that donations to support education will be made in his memory. He served on his church’s Scholarship Board for many years and was a faithful supporter of the Harrison Scholarship fund for members of his wife’s family. The two options are below: Memorial AME Zion Scholarship Fund 1. Go to the following site: https://www.memorialamezion.org/giving-donations 2. Select the amount you would like to donate 3. Scroll down to ‘Other’ and ADD the following message “Scholarship Fund in Memory of Ossie Moorehead” Harrison Family Scholarship Funds: 1. Donate via CashApp to $Creymoorehead or Venmo @creymoorehead 2. Specify your Name and “Donation to Harrison Family Scholarship” 3. Family Members may contact Creighton or Thomasene for address to mail checks