Charles E. Osiris, a longtime higher education administrator and consultant, passed away unexpectedly on May 6. He was 57 years old.
Over the course of his more than three decades in higher education, Dr. Osiris was an administrator at several institutions across the country. He held various roles in student affairs at California State University, Channel Islands; the University of Illinois-Springfield; Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria, California; Morehouse College in Atlanta; the University of California, Santa Barbara; Northwestern University in Illinois; the University of California, Santa Cruz; California Polytechnic State University, and Western Illinois University.
As a result of his extensive experience in academia, Dr. Osiris also served as a consultant for several education-based organizations, including Chui & Whitter International Education Consulting, the Inspire Leadership Accountability Development Institute, The Osiris & Adeke Group, and Broadervision International Consulting Educational Services.
A native of Chicago, Dr. Osiris earned his bachelor’s degree in industrial psychology and counseling and his master’s degree in college student personnel from Western Illinois University. He earned a second master’s degree in education and cultural perspectives and a Ph.D. in educational leadership and organizational development from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
He was my confidant, great mentor in all areas of my life for over 20 years, and my greatest friend, who was my family. I will always value everything that he’s shared and taught me.
A graduate of Lindblom Technical High School, Comrade Charles was a Pan-Africanist, global traveler, voracious reader, and a life-long learner with a fidelity to friendship, loyalty to liberation, and a motivated mentee of legendary political theorist Cedric J. Robinson (“Black Marxism”) during his UCSB doctorate years.
I had the incredible good fortune to make a friend who transcended so many areas of life. I had no idea when we first became friends that we would become brothers. Over the next 20 years, we went through the full range of human emotions together, as brothers do.
I will never be able to fully express my gratitude for the impact he had on my growth and development as an older brother and friend. Because of our relationship, the lives of hundreds, maybe even thousands, of other people have been improved.
If you were fortunate enough to spend time with Dr. Osiris, I hope you are paying forward the gift of good spirit and goodwill that he shared with everyone he spent time with.
Always know that Dr. Osiris is still with us, even though his physical form is no longer here.
Rest in peace my father