Pictured left to right: Kim Allen, Pat Higgins, Vivian Mosbo, Andrea Rankin. Photo from the July 24, 1980 issue of the Cortland Standard. Click to enlarge in a new window.

“Vivian Anderson Mosbo was a life member of the YWCA. As a community-spirited person, she was an early volunteer advocate at the 1976-77 beginnings of Aid to Women Victims of Violence (AWVV). The first paid position at AWVV was from a grant that she and Andrea Rankin wrote.

Always an empowered woman, Vivian raised two sons and then went back to school to get a second master’s degree in computer science. After receiving her PhD, she taught Mathematics at Hamilton and SUNY Oswego for 12 years. Upon retirement, she volunteered as a literacy tutor.

The picture on the right shows Vivian with three friends whom she challenged to ride with her in the 1980 Great Annual Bike Race across Iowa. The group trained for the ride at the YW and took a bike maintenance course at the YW offered by Grant VanSant. They all thought this 500-mile ride with 5000 people in 100-degree heat was the best vacation they had ever had. In fact, it was a party on wheels.

The YWCA was near and dear to Vivian’s heart. She died on December 27, and her family requested that contributions be made in her name to the YWCA Aid to Victims of Violence (AVV) Program.”

Tribute written by Andrea Rankin

Read Vivian’s obituary.