Louise Osbrink

Louise Osbrink, long time Monrovia resident, Educator, co-founder, Trustee and second President of the Monrovia Schools Foundation, Author, Monrovia Historical Museum supporter, charitable volunteer, former PEO chapter President and faithful member of Monrovia First Presbyterian Church, passed peacefully from this life at 102 years into the loving embrace and presence of her Lord on March 3, 2024.

The first child of Dr. Warner R. Cole and Esther Sheets Cole, she was born in Painesville, Ohio on May 31,1921. She is predeceased by her husband Leonard Osbrink and her siblings Dorothy and William Cole.

A graduate of Wheaton College in Illinois, she married Leonard James Osbrink on October 4,1946 in Detroit, Michigan. They moved to California to Leonard’s first pastorate at Weed Community Presbyterian Church that same year to begin their ministry and their new family. Through the years there were several more moves and pastorates, first from Weed to Kansas City, Missouri, then San Diego, Riverside, and finally, Monrovia, California in January of 1968.

Louise began her public teaching career with the Monrovia Unified School District at Bradoaks Elementary in 1970, and earned her Master’s Degree in Education from Whittier College in 1979. She retired from teaching after 15 productive and rewarding years in 1986.

Louise and Leonard were married for 50 years until the time of his passing in June of 1997.

Louise had a passion for learning, reading, music and art from all cultures, interacting and creating relationships with others wherever possible and loved to travel. Her journeys took her to Alaska, Canada, Switzerland, France, Germany, Italy, Australia, the Panama Canal, Israel, Egypt and service missions to South Africa twice while in her mid to late 80’s.

Her depth of faith in a loving and gracious God, humble nature, passion for music, singing and harmonizing with others- wherever and whenever the remotest opportunity arose; love of laughter, being with family, and her ability to listen compassionately combined with a desire to uplift and encourage while serving others at home or in the community, were all fundamental expressions of her character and the remarkable woman she grew to be.

She leaves behind daughters Carol (and Pamela) McInroy-Osbrink, Jean (and Floyd) Butler, along with sons Jonathan Osbrink, Andrew (and Sheila) Osbrink and Thomas Osbrink; as well as eight grandchildren: Marina Brusseau, Rhett Butler, Mitchell Butler, Drew Osbrink, Delane Nelson, Cole Osbrink, Ali Osbrink, Reed Osbrink, and fourteen great-grandchildren.

She resided in Bradbury, CA at the time of her passing. Arrangements are under the care of Douglass & Zook Funeral and Cremation Services, Monrovia, CA. A memorial service at Douglas and Zook in Monrovia will be held at 2:00pm on Friday, May 31, 2024.

Louise was a loving, gracious woman and wonderful mom, who will be dearly missed.