OZMENT, Robert V.

Robert V. Ozment entered this earthly pilgrimage in Rome, GA, on a beautiful spring day, May 7, 1927, the second son of Julia Nebraska McCool Ozment and Lon Vince Ozment, Sr. He passed into his heavenly home on May 27, 2020, after an extended illness. As a lad he joined Beech Creek Methodist Church in Floyd County, where his parents were members. He attended Coosa High School and married the late Arah Jane Lingerfelt. He attended Young Harris College in Young Harris, GA, and Jacksonville State University, Jacksonville, AL, where he received his B.S. Degree. While a student, he served churches in North Carolina and Alabama. He continued his studies at Candler School of Theology of Emory University and received a B.D. Degree. While at Emory, he served churches in Hiram, Bethel, and Rex/Noah’s Ark, GA. He and Arah moved to Lynn, Massachusetts, in 1951, and served Lakeside Methodist Church while he attended Boston University where he earned his Ph.D. in 1955. From Boston, Dr. and Mrs. Ozment moved to Havana, Cuba, where they served the University Methodist Church. In June of 1956, Bishop Arthur Moore appointed Dr. Ozment to Allen Memorial Methodist Church in Oxford, Georgia, where he preached and taught at Oxford College. In 1957, Dr. Ozment was appointed as the first pastor of a newly organized congregation in Atlanta called St. James Methodist. At Christmas in 1965, Bishop John Smith appointed Dr. Ozment to the historic First Methodist Church of Atlanta which he served as senior pastor until his retirement in June of 1989. Dr. Ozment authored six books. His books enjoyed wide circulation. But God Can, his first book, was translated into the German language and released in Germany in 1967. Other titles include Happy is the Man, Putting Life Together Again, There’s Always Hope, Love is the Answer, and When Sorrow Comes. Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, through his Guidepost Associates, republished and released Love is the Answer along with Dale Evans Rogers’ book, The Woman at the Well, in a single volume and distributed the volumes in America as well as Europe. Dr. Ozment was a columnist for The Atlanta Constitution during the late 1960s and early 1970s. He wrote for Progressive Farmer magazine, a publication which later gave launch to Southern Living. A syndicated column by Dr. Ozment appeared in nearly 20 newspapers in the South. Dr. Ozment was among pioneers in Atlanta in having his Sunday morning church services televised live on WSB-TV. He continued this television ministry from First Methodist Church for more than twenty years. He was in demand as a speaker and spoke to audiences in forty-seven states. He frequently served as a guest professor at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology. For many years, Dr. Ozment served as president of the Methodist Foundation and as a trustee of Young Harris College. Dr. Ozment was predeceased by his wife of 56 years, Arah Jane Lingerfelt Ozment, his parents, and two brothers Buford Ozment and L.V. Ozment, Jr. He is survived by two sons, Dr. Randall R. Ozment (Laura) of Dublin, GA and Dr. Richard V. Ozment (Chandra) of Concord, NC, two grandsons, Matthew Ozment (Whitney) of Greenville, SC, and Grant Ozment (Taylor) of Kailua-Kona, HI, five granddaughters, Alison Feyereisen (Joel) of Atlanta, GA, Abby Goolsby (Ben) of Birmingham, AL, Anna McClung (Brad) of Chattanooga, TN, Ashlyn Lassiter (Daniel) of Landis, NC, and Ansley Ozment of Concord, NC. He is survived by four great-granddaughters, Arah Jane, Grady Anne, Emmaline Grace, and Charlie Mae. He is also survived by a sister, Geraldine Turner, and a brother, Floyd Ozment (Mary), of Rome, GA. He left behind a close friend Connie Conn of Rome. A private graveside service took place on Saturday, May 30 in Rome, GA. For those wishing to make a memorial donation, the family asks that donations be sent to one of the following children’s homes, *The Methodist Home for Children and Youth 304 Pierce Avenue Macon, Georgia 31204 *Wellroot Family Services (formerly the United Methodist Children’s Home ) 1967 Lakeside Parkway, Suite 400 Tucker, Georgia 30084 Parnick Jennings Sr.’s Good Shepherd Funeral Home has charge of the arrangements.