Jere Osgood, a much revered studio furniture artist and teacher, died October 10, 2023, at his home in Peterborough, New Hampshire, according to a report from The Furniture Society, of which he was a longtime member. He was 87.

Born in 1936 in Staten Island, New York, Osgood grew up in a family that included lots of people making things. David Savage, another furniture maker, wrote in an interview with Osgood, describing those early days, “Jere has many childhood memories of his uncles, his father and his grandfather all making things; upon visiting each others’ homes they would always go to look at what each other was doing in their little workshops, never as business – this was more of a reaction to the hardship of the times; If you needed a chair, or a cabinet, or a box, you would go down to the workshop and make yourself a chair, or a cabinet, or a box.”

Osgood studied architecture at the University of Illinois and then enrolled in the School of American Craftsmen at the Rochester Institute of Technology and studied furniture making with Tage Frid. After earning a BFA degree in 1960, he moved to Denmark to study Scandinavian furniture design.

On his return to the United States, Osgood set up shop in Connecticut, supporting himself making small wood products sold primarily through a store in New York. Slowly he began to develop a business making and selling original fine furniture.

Osgood achieved his first national recognition in the pages of Fine Woodworking magazine in the late 1970s with several articles exploring the craft of bent laminations. He taught at the Philadelphia College of Art, Rochester Institute of Technology, Boston University, and a number of smaller schools including the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Maine. 

He eventually relocated to New Hampshire and became an icon among New Hampshire furniture makers. David Lamb of New Hampshire, a multiple-time winner in the prestigious Veneer Tech Craftsman’s Challenge competition, told The Furniture Society, “A giant has passed. His impact was profound, as we all know.”

In a video interview with David Savage, Osgood spoke frankly about the business of custom woodworking, saying at one point, “The business of earning a living from it is rather vague, and you have to explain to people that will continue.” To see the full interview, watch the video below.

The Furniture Society awarded Osgood their Award of Distinction in 2002. He was awarded National Endowment for the Arts grants in 1980 and 1988. He was elected a Fellow of the American Craft Council in 1993. He won Best in Show in 1996 at the New Hampshire Furniture Masters Association.

His work is highlighted in many private collections as well as at the Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, American Craft Museum, and the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Osgood is survived by his two sons, Leif Osgood of Sherman, Connecticut, and Mark Osgood of Wilton, New Hampshire. He had five grandchildren from Mark; Ayla, Ari, Opal, Asa, and Olin of Connecticut, Vermont, and New Hampshire. He is also survived by his son's spouses; Adria Reed Osgood of Wilton, New Hampshire, and Rick Melara of Sherman, Connecticut. He is predeceased by his former wife; Arlene Nilsson Osgood.

A private graveside service for family was to be held on October 27, 2023. A public celebration of Osgood's life and work is planned for spring of 2024.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Furniture Society's Educational Grants Scholarship program.

Arrangements were under the care of Jellison Funeral Home, Peterborough, New Hampshire.