By Bernice Elizabeth Green
On Thursday, November 17, Brooklyn celebrated the lives of two beloved residents, Osceola “Ozzy” Louis Fletcher, 100, and his wife, Mrs. Pauline Amy Fletcher, 94, during a double funeral at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church on MacDonough Street in Stuyvesant Heights.
Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher were married for 74 years and passed within ten days of each other on November 3 and 13, respectively, peacefully.
Officiated by Canon Lloyd Anthony, the service “was a beautiful homegoing,” said Karen Y. Bennett, a longtime friend of the Fletcher family. “The love and warmth that pervaded mom and dad’s home filled St. Philips. The service was a tribute to their love for each other, which lasted a lifetime.”
Ms. Bennett recalled how “The Couple” were fun-loving, sharing, and giving to their children. While Mr. Fletcher is acknowledged for his service to the country as a war hero and his work as an educator and community leader, Mrs. Fletcher, according to Ms. Bennett, was “a definite force in her own right, the CEO of her household and the ultimate volunteer. A creative woman, “the best cook and the best double-dutch jumper.”
There were two eulogies, poignant remarks, and heartfelt readings by their children, grandchildren, and extended family members.
Proclamations, one from Mayor Adams, issued; a color guard, with top city NYPD and military brass, inside and outside St Philips, complemented the moment. “A fitting, elegant salute to a fine couple who, in life, gave so much to their family, other families, and individuals. What I will always remember as their legacy as a couple is how they stressed the importance of education and positive values, and how they loved each other so much and taught their five children, Malcolm, Lorraine, Jackie, Andrea, and Andrew, how to love and to respect others, just by their example. They were role models for life.”
Mrs. Fletcher’s obituary can be found on Page 16. Mr. Fletcher’s obituary will appear next week in these pages as part of our November salute to veterans.