Petersburgh – The Rev. Ivan F. Gossoo, 94, a resident of Petersburgh, NY, died on July 22, 2014. Mr. Gossoo was pre-deceased by his wife, Dorothea (Mathena), in 1994, following fifty years of marriage. He is survived by a son, Burton Gossoo of Hampton Bays, NY, a daughter, Lynnea Jones of Wolcott, CT, two grandchildren, Erin Jones and Shannon Jones, both of Bristol, CT, two great-granddaughters, Nina Andelin and Abigail Jones, and relatives throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Born in Marlboro, NY, on February 29, 1920, Mr. Gossoo was the son of Harry W. Gossoo and Ethel (Knight) Gossoo. The eldest of three children, he graduated from Marlboro High School in 1937. He entered Morningside College in Sioux City, IA, where he graduated with a BA in 1944. He then enrolled in the seminary at Drew University in Madison, NJ, and graduated with a Masters in Divinity in 1948. In 1949 he was ordained an Elder in the United Methodist Church and received into membership in the New York Annual Conference, where he served until retirement in 1985. During his 38 years of active service, he served churches in Kingston, NY, Katonah, NY, Peekskill, NY, Wethersfield, CT, and Southampton, NY.
After retirement, he and his wife moved to Petersburgh. He served a number of short term assignments during his retirement years, mostly Methodist congregations but including Baptist and Presbyterian, in New York and Vermont.
During the sixties and seventies, Mr. Gossoo played an active part in the civil rights movement as the President of the Peekskill area Pastor’s Association during the bombing of the Birmingham, Alabama, Baptist Church in 1963, after which he was instrumental in organizing a candlelight memorial march through the downtown area. He later chaired the Equal Opportunity Council in Wethersfield, helping to inaugurate its Project FUN (Friendship with Urban Neighbors). A second major interest involved working with youth, serving at least twelve summer youth programs, both as staff and director. His hobbies included camping, amateur carpentry and joyous times spent with family and friends.
There will be a memorial service at the United Methodist Church of Berlin in Berlin, NY, on September 20 at 11 am. Memorial gifts may be sent to the United Methodist Church of Berlin, 17 South Main Street, Berlin, NY, 12022, in memory of Rev. Ivan Gossoo.