Oscar B Jensen

Beloved father, educator and coach Oscar Bernard Jensen, 83, passed away peacefully
at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Syracuse, NY on May 29, 2022, surrounded by family. A
celebration of life will be held on October 23 at the Baldwinsville First United Methodist
Church.
Oscar is predeceased by his parents, his brother Thomas Jensen, and his first wife,
Lisa A. Jensen. He is survived by his wife, Rebecca, and children, Jennifer Carter
(Christopher), Kristine Adams (Joel), Jonathan Jensen (Lisa), Paul Brewer-Jensen
(Katie), Finn Jensen (Rose), and Nick Jensen; twenty-one grandchildren; five great-
grandchildren; his brother Norman Jensen; and his stepchildren, James, Kevin, and
Jennifer Gibbs.
Born July 4, 1938, in Brooklyn, NY, Oscar attended Brooklyn Technical High School,
where he excelled as a student and athlete, garnering a football scholarship to
Syracuse University where he studied science and education. For many years he
competed as a powerlifter: for his 50th and 60th birthdays, he gave himself the gift of
bench-pressing 400 pounds.
He combined his love of science and sport in his decades-long career teaching biology
and physics and coaching Track and Field and Cross-Country Running in the Liverpool,
Baldwinsville and Marcellus School Districts. As a coach, Oscar molded several highly
competitive programs and was called on to train other coaches regionally, nationally
and internationally. As dedicated to guiding student-athletes to success in life as in
competition, he often heard from former students about his positive role in their lives.
His contributions to athletics earned him accolades including a 2002 National High
School Coaches Association Coach of the Year Award and induction into the Greater
Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame.
His most enduring legacy, however, is the care he showed his family and community. A
dedicated father, he encouraged his children and grandchildren through their own
athletic, artistic and academic pursuits, emphasizing the importance of reaching for their
personal best. A man of faith, he loved singing in the choir of the First United Methodist
Church in Baldwinsville, and he contributed his deep bass voice to many performances
with the Syracuse Chorale and the Syracuse University Oratorio Society. His other
interests included collecting trains and stamps, through which he developed many
friendships.

In lieu of flowers, please make charitable contributions to the First United Methodist
Church of Baldwinsville.

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