William D. Osborne (1934-2021)

OSBORNE, GRUWELL, THORPE

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 9/24/2021 at 07:43:10

WILLIAM D. OSBORNE Cedar Rapids
William D. Osborne, 87, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, passed away at his home on Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021, surrounded by his loving family. William (Bill) was born on Feb. 21, 1934, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to Dean and Ada (Gruwell) Osborne. He honorably served in the U.S. Army in 1955-57 as active military police. While being stationed at Fort Meyer in Arlington, Va., he met and married his wife, Charla Dee Thorpe, in Washington, D.C. After leaving the Army, Bill and Char returned to Cedar Rapids where he would start his career in the insurance industry. They raised two daughters, Catherine and Caroline, and one son, Wade. Bill worked in the insurance field for 40 years, with the majority of his career at Milhiser-Smith Insurance, where he eventually served as president of the agency. Bill had a keen interest in many sports, but his biggest passion was the game of golf. He was an active member at Elmcrest Country Club and played on multiple golf leagues over the years. Upon retirement, he was able to play 5-plus times a week on multiple organized teams here in Iowa and in Florida. One of his proudest moments was when his team, led by PGA pro Bill Glasson, won the pro-am trophy at the Kemper Open at Congressional CC in Washington, D.C. In addition to sports, he was also very active in the church and his community, serving in multiple roles including leadership roles with the Independent Insurance Agents, a 16-year member of the Cedar Rapids Rotary Club, board member for St. Luke's Hospital Health Care Foundation, committee member for the United Way's Campfire Girls, and avid volunteer at the church. Bill was known for his quick wit, his ability to mentor others, and his general positive outlook on life. Bill was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Olivia Knight. He is survived by his wife, Char; his three children, Catherine Osborne of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Caroline Osborne, of Columbia Heights, Minn., and Wade Osborne, of Seattle, Wash.; his grandchildren, Haley (Hofmaster) Pearson, Tanner Engh, Cole Osborne and Kate Osborne; and his sisters Ada Merle Albaugh and Sylvia Naibert. A funeral service will be held Friday, Sept. 24, at Cedar Memorial Park Chapel of Memories in Cedar Rapids with visitation at 10 a.m. and service at 11 a.m. Casual attire. A livestream of the service can be found on the Cedar Memorial website under the obituary for Bill under the video tab starting on Friday, Sept. 24 at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to New Covenant Bible Church, North Center Point Road, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The family wishes to thank Hospice of Mercy and The Caregivers of Marion for all the love and support they showed Bill while he was in their care.
Published by The Gazette on Sep. 23, 2021.