At their May retreat, members of the Catawba College Board of Trustees unanimously adopted a resolution of respect for one of their members, Katharine Weisiger Osborne of Salisbury, who died April 3.

Framed copies of this resolution, one for each of Mrs. Osborne's children, were presented to her daughter Jeanne Wurster of Gainesville, Fla., who visited Catawba's campus on June 27.

The resolution read:

Resolution of Respect
To The Memory Of Katharine Weisiger Osborne by the Catawba College Board of Trustees May 17, 2008

WHEREAS, God, in His infinite wisdom, called Katharine Weisiger Osborne to her eternal rest on April 3, 2008; and
WHEREAS, Katharine Weisiger Osborne, was a woman who willingly and faithfully served as a member of the Catawba College Board of Trustees for over 15 years;

WHEREAS, Katharine Osborne loved and relished her family, her friends, nature, words, books, and all things which stimulated her mind;

WHEREAS, she demonstrated through her own fine example how to live life richly and fully with a strong faith in her God;
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That in the loss of our esteemed colleague, Katharine Weisiger Osborne, the Catawba College Board of Trustees, both collectively and individually, has suffered the loss of an irreplaceable friend;
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:  That Katharine Osborne's death has created a vacancy on this Board of Trustees which no one will truly ever be able to fill;

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That the Catawba College Board of Trustees, at its meeting May 17, 2008, expresses its profound sorrow upon the loss of our friend and colleague; that we remember with affection and appreciation the impact she had upon each of our lives; and that we express to the Osborne family our deep sense of loss and ask that God's comforting presence continue to be with them in their loss;

NOW, BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED: That a copy of this resolution be given to each member of the Osborne family and that a copy be placed in the minutes of this body.

Unanimously enacted on this, the seventeenth day of May in the Year of Our Lord, two thousand and eight.

Born March 15, 1927, Mrs. Osborne was a graduate of Sweet Briar College, Sweet Briar, Va., where she earned her bachelor's degree in sociology and religion. She taught at high schools in Mt. Ulla and Huntersville for several years after her graduation and then worked for two years at the National Security Agency. A voracious reader and a prolific writer, she was a regular guest columnist for "The Salisbury Post," a published poet, a collector of art and a supporter of many groups and organizations involved in artistic and education activities and programs. She was a supporter of Catawba College, including its Center for the Environment, various symposia and literary events and the former Hobbie Center for Values and Ethics. She has also provided for scholarship assistance through her estate. She was elected to the Catawba College Board of Trustees in 1992 and served as a member of the Student Affairs Committee.

She supported the Rowan Public Library and its Foundation, served as a trustee of Rowan Museum, was a hospice volunteer, treasurer for many years of the Rowan Art Guild, and was a Girl Scout leader when her daughters were young. She sponsored the Celebrating Women In History Program at Livingstone College, which benefited the United Negro College Fund, and also served at one time on the Livingstone College Advancement Council. She was a sponsor and presenter at the Central Piedmont Community College Literary Festival in Charlotte. One of her favorite organizations was the Waterworks Visual Arts Center in Salisbury.

Mrs. Osborne was a member of St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Salisbury, having served as a member of the Vestry, the Altar Guild, and was the first elected woman trustee of the St. Luke's Episcopal Church Foundation. For the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, she had been a member of the Women's Issues Committee.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Osborne whom she married in 1952. In addition to Jeanne Osborne Wurster, survivors include Mrs. Osborne's other children, Katharine Osborne Spirtes of East Moriches, N.Y., and Robert Victor Osborne, Jr. of Chapel Hill, N.C.; a brother and four grandchildren.

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