Obituaries : Jerome Thomas (J.T.) Oswald; Founder of Mortuary Chain

Jerome Thomas (J.T.) Oswald, whose namesake funeral home in North Hollywood grew into a three-mortuary chain in the San Fernando Valley, has died at a Burbank convalescent home. He was 82.

A North Hollywood resident since 1948, Oswald died Friday of a brain tumor, said his son Tom Oswald of Newport Beach.

After apprenticing at a funeral home in San Fernando, Oswald purchased McNamara Mortuary in North Hollywood in 1948 and renamed it J.T. Oswald Mortuary. He opened a Reseda mortuary in 1956 and a San Fernando mortuary in 1959.

He retired in 1989 after selling the mortuaries to the Pierce Brothers chain, although he continued to assist with the funerals of his friends, his son said.

Born Aug. 24, 1912, in Nebraska, Oswald settled in Southern California with his family in the early 1940s. In 1945, he entered the California College of Mortuary Science where he became a licensed embalmer and funeral director.

According to his son, Oswald was active in numerous Valley organizations, such as the Knights of Columbus and Rotary Club.

In addition to his son Tom, Oswald is survived by his wife of 63 years, Thelma; two additional sons, Keith Oswald of Carroll of Iowa, and James Oswald of Chatsworth; two daughters, Marilyn Osenbaugh of Newport Beach and Kay Richards of Studio City; 14 grandchildren and four great-grandsons.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 7:30 p.m. Monday at St. Charles Catholic Church, 10828 Moorpark St., North Hollywood. A graveside service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at San Fernando Mission Cemetery, 11160 Stranwood Ave., Mission Hills.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the North Hollywood Rotary Charity Foundation.