George Virl Osmond Sr. (October 13, 1917November 6, 2007) was the patriarch of the singing

Osmond family The Osmonds were an American family music group who reached the height of their fame in the early to mid-1970s. The group had its best-known configurations as a quartet (billed as the Osmond Brothers) and a quintet (as the Osmonds). The group ...

Life and career

Osmond was born in Etna, Wyoming, the son of Agnes LaVerna (née Van Noy) and Rulon Osmond. Rulon died at age 24 on November 24, 1917, shortly after George was born. A devout

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, Osmond served two missions for

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

, one in

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and the other in the

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. His grandfather, also named George Osmond, emigrated from England as a young adult and was an early leader in the Latter-day Saint community. A World War II veteran, he married Olive May Davis on December 1, 1944. The two had nine children: George Jr. (Virl), Tom,

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, Wayne, Merrill, Jay, Donny, Marie and

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. Their first two children, Virl and Tom, were born with a degenerative condition which left them nearly deaf. Doctors warned the couple that future children had a higher chance of having a hearing loss, but George and Olive wanted a large family. All of their other children were born hearing. He worked in real estate, insurance and as a postmaster for the city of

Ogden, Utah Ogden is a city in and the county seat of Weber County, Utah, United States, approximately east of the Great Salt Lake and north of Salt Lake City. The population was 87,321 in 2020, according to the US Census Bureau, making it Utah's eighth ...

. He loved to sing and he taught his children to sing barbershop harmony. The children's natural talent received public notice, which led to frequent appearances at church functions and local civil events. he managed his sons' careers, gaining an appearance at

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. They caught the eye of

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, who took a personal interest in them. The boys auditioned for

Andy Williams Howard Andrew Williams (December 3, 1927 – September 25, 2012) was an American singer. He recorded 43 albums in his career, of which 15 have been gold certified and three platinum certified. He was also nominated for six Grammy Awards. He hos ...

, whose show helped launch them into the national spotlight. As his children's fortunes rose, Osmond put his career aside to focus on the family's musical interests. He moved the family to California to place them closer to the heart of the entertainment industry, then returned the family to Utah after they had broken through to mainstream fame. Jay Osmond described his father as strict, but not abusive, in that he held the Osmond Brothers to a high standard knowing that such professionalism was necessary for them to succeed. In 2004, his wife Olive died shortly before the couple's 60th anniversary. In addition to their children and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, their legacy was the Osmond Foundation, which later became the Children's Miracle Network, the largest charitable organization of its kind serving children's hospitals around the world. On November 6, 2007, George died at his home in

Provo, Utah Provo ( ) is the List of cities and towns in Utah, fourth-largest city in Utah, United States. It is south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the largest city and county seat of Utah County, Utah, Utah County and is home to Bri ...

, of natural causes. Affectionately known as "Father Osmond" to Osmond fans all over the world, he was buried in the East Lawn Memorial Hills Cemetery in

, beside his wife. Along with the nine children, he was survived by 55 grandchildren and 48 great-grandchildren.

Children

Osmond had nine children with his wife Olive: *George Virl Osmond Jr. (born October 19, 1945) * Thomas Rulon "Tom" Osmond (born October 26, 1947) * Alan Ralph Osmond (born June 22, 1949) * Melvin Wayne Osmond (born August 28, 1951) * Merrill Davis Osmond (born April 30, 1953) * Jay Wesley Osmond (born March 2, 1955) * Donald Clark "Donny" Osmond (born December 9, 1957) * Olive Marie Osmond (born October 13, 1959, sharing the same birthday with her father) * James Arthur "Jimmy" Osmond (born April 16, 1963)

References

External links

Official Osmond Family Site
*
Obituary in ''The Times'', 8 November 2007
{{DEFAULTSORT:Osmond, George 1917 births 2007 deaths 20th-century Mormon missionaries Latter Day Saints from Wyoming American military personnel of World War II American Mormon missionaries in the United States Mormon missionaries in Hawaii American Mormon missionaries in the United Kingdom People from Lincoln County, Wyoming People from Ogden, Utah People from Provo, Utah Military personnel from Wyoming Osmond family (show business) Latter Day Saints from Utah Utah postmasters