In Memoriam

Tom Flynn (1955–2021)

On August 23, the American freethought movement lost one of its heroes, and we at CFI lost a dear friend and beloved colleague. Tom Flynn—editor of Free Inquiry magazine, director of the Robert Green Ingersoll Birthplace Museum and the Freethought Trail, and former executive director of the Council for Secular Humanism—died very unexpectedly at the age of 66.

He was the beating heart of the Center for Inquiry and indeed the wider freethought movement. Firm in his secular humanist principles and buoyant with enthusiasm for the subjects he loved; defiant in the face of irrational dogma and magical thinking, while also warm, welcoming, and bursting with good humor. Everyone at CFI is still reeling from this sudden loss of such a towering figure and treasured friend.

We will have much more to say about Tom in the coming days and weeks, for there is indeed much more to be said. Click here to read our formal statement on his passing and see a collection of links to some of Tom’s great work. Religion News Service also published an obituary for Tom.

See more here

Leslie Jensen

Feb 12, 1931-Aug 28, 2021

Leslie Ward Jensen, 90, died August 28, 2021 at his home in Ashland, Oregon, of chronic lung disease. He was born February 12, 1931 in Aberdeen, South Dakota, the son of Leslie Jensen and Elizabeth Ward. When his father served as governor of South Dakota from 1937-39, he lived in the state capital of Pierre, but Les really grew up in the 1940s in Hot Springs, South Dakota, where the Jensen family operated a small independent telephone company. Les went through Hot Springs High School in three years (class of 1948) and then the University of Chicago in only two years (class of 1950). After Chicago, Les studied philosophy at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and then attended the University of Nebraska College of Law in Lincoln. He never practiced law but worked at Shepard’s Citations, a legal reference service, in Colorado Springs, Colorado after receiving his law degree in 1954 See more here

James Cossolias

April 21, 1935 - August 5, 2021

Jim Cossolias, 86, of Ashland Oregon, passed away on August 5, 2021, after suffering an unexpected heart attack.

Jim was born on April 21, 1935, to Constantine and Helen Cossolias in Ann Arbor, Michigan along with his identical twin, George. Constatine and Helen were immigrants from Turkey, opening and running a grocery store called The Miner Street Grocery. In his young years Jim worked in this family grocery.

After graduating High School Jim attended UCLA earning an MA, he then proceeded to Medical School and received his Registered Pharmacist License on July 25, 1959.

He landed a job as a pharmacist, a job he excelled at for his working life. Jim did serve in a MASH unit as well. See more here

Margaret Gelatt

MARCH 6, 1929 – JANUARY 6, 2021

Margaret (Copley) Gelatt died January 6, 2021 in Boulder, Colorado

She enjoyed her time in Ashland with a network of friends and engaging in the vibrant community. In order to be closer to her sons, she moved to Boulder, Colorado in 2014.

Margaret was known for collecting and sharing good jokes and humor. When entering hospice and was told a chaplain would visit, she replied in jest, “Ok but tell him I’m a witch”. She especially loved to pull April Fool pranks. Her deep interests included nature, calligraphy, reading, art history, and art with good graphics and bright colors. She was driven to learn as much as she could about human nature, “what makes people tick”, and the evolution of language. See more here

Jean Miller

June 1, 1938 - October 31, 2020

We are saddened to report that Jean passed away at her home on October 31, 2020. She was 82. We offer our deepest condolences to her husband, Greg, family and friends.

In Ashland she joined the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and took to heart their commitment to helping the community. She volunteered at the UU office and the Ashland Resource Center. Eventually a scholarship fund at SOU will be established in her name for minority students in need. Jean was a passionate advocate for justice and equity, and she would encourage all of us to be passionate advocates too.

See more here