John Osborne

Watch Live Stream HERE

    Our Dad, John Elden Osborne, affectionately known as Papa and Mr. Quigley, returned to his Heavenly home on Wednesday, November 13, 2024.
    John was born on August 5, 1947, in Murray, Utah. He was the second child and oldest son of Elden V. Osborne and Elaine Forakis Chapoose. John spent the first 12 years of his life there, raising rabbits, riding horses, picking asparagus from ditch banks, attending Primary, and pestering his older sister.
    After his parents’ divorce, John moved to Roosevelt with his mom, sister and two younger brothers. He would gain five more brothers through the blending of families.
Johnny loved growing up in the Uintah Basin. He loved hunting, camping, and fishing and always had a horse. He loved attending scouts and earned his Eagle at age14. He graduated from Union High School from where 4 of his 5 kids would later graduate. He played football for the Union Cougars and he was reminded of that every time his ankles and wrists bothered him.
    John served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the “Eastern States Mission.” He served in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Illinois. He loved his mission and spoke often of how much it blessed his life. Here he discovered love for teaching others, which influenced his decision to become a teacher.
    After his mission, John participated in the ROTC program and played soccer for Utah State University in Logan. There he went on a blind date with Brenda Butler. They were married in 1972 and had their first child, Jaune, before graduating and moving back to Roosevelt. While in Roosevelt, their second child, Kristopher, was born. He passed away at 2 months old.
    Due to the Vietnam war, John moved his family to Lubbock, Texas to attend pilot training at Reese Air Force Base. He flew T-38’s and his love of flying was born! (He would later serve in the Civil Air Patrol and earn his instructor’s license before an inner ear issue forced him to retire from flying). Fortunately, the war ended before he was sent to Asia, and he was given the choice of “flying a desk” at Reese or returning home. The little family returned to Roosevelt once again and John began teaching school.
    John spent most of his career teaching Special Education at Roosevelt Jr. High. He worked at Thompson School and was also the Director of Special Education for the State of Utah. His favorite job was being the principal of Con Amore – a school for kids and youth with special needs. He loved the kids and especially loved participating with the Special Olympics.       He almost always had a second job at Plateau or Seagull oil refineries.
    While growing their teaching careers, John and Brenda also grew their family – they added four more children: John Kimball, Kristina, Heather, and Josh. Dad was a strict disciplinarian who believed in aiming high and working hard until the job was done. We learned to plant, weed, and harvest gardens, and to show respect to everyone. We also learned to fish, camp, hunt, read good books and appreciate good food. Some of us learned to bait hooks and gut fish, but we all learned to get hooks out of our hair, clothes, and arms. Dad tied beautiful flies and loved to stand in the river, whipping his fly line around. He was very excited when the movie, “A River Runs Through It,” came out soley because of the fly fishing.  While we did go on great family vacations to Mexico, Yellowstone, Canada, and California – most of our summers were spent in the Uintah Mountains, Dad’s favorite place. We also spent many winter days in the mountains, watching for falling trees he cut down for firewood and being dragged behind the truck on sleds.
    In addition to tying flies and fishing, Dad had lots of other hobbies. He learned to do glass etching and wood carving and we all had 3 or 4 carved and painted Rainbow Trout hanging from a line in our homes. He built model airplanes and found pictures he thought we would like, cut mats for them, and framed them himself. Taxidermy was an interesting phase dad went through – especially when he got creative combining the horns of an antelope with a jack rabbit and gave us the jack-a-lope. One of the most impressive things he and Mom did together was build an apartment 4-plex without a lot of outside help. They worked on it for two years while working and raising kids.
    Dad loved his Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. His love for the gospel and his family were the last things dementia was able to steal from him. He served in the church his entire life –on the High Council, teaching Sunday School, Scouts and always Home Teaching. He taught each of his children that they were children of God and that we were never alone. He taught us to pray and to serve and to keep the promises we made. Dad believed that families are forever – and he cherished his. After he and Mom divorced, he worked extra hard to maintain close relationships with us and his grandkids. He traveled to support them in baptisms, weddings, mission farewells and homecomings and just to visit. He loved to tease and make them laugh, loved to go on walks and play at the park. One of his favorite things was to take the kids on drives so he could gently persuade them to listen to Johnny Cash.
    When Dad’s memory started to fail, he moved to Woods Cross, Utah to be closer to Heather and her family. He went with them to Michigan where he lived for four years. There he was reunited with a former missionary companion, Wayne Goates, who understood Dementia and was a great friend to him. Dad then spent time in Oregon, living next to Kristina and her family until his health required more specialized care. He moved to an Assisted Care Home in Ohio, close to Kimball. He enjoyed spending time visiting with their family for as long as he could.
    Dad’s physical health began to slowly decline last week – although there was concern, his death came as a surprise. While we are sad to no longer have our father physically with us, we take comfort in the knowledge that he is at peace and free from the mental and physical chains that have held him captive for over a decade. We love him and know he will continue to watch over the ones he loved, especially his children and grandchildren.
    Dad is survived by his children; Jaune (Kelly) Curtis, California; Kimball (Stephanie) Osborne, Ohio; Kristina (Jay) Richards, Oregon; Heather (Adam) Boden, South Carolina; Joshua (Laura) Osborne, Utah; 19 grandchildren and 1 great-grandson, his sister, Ruth Hatch, brothers Steven Osborne, Maxie Chapoose, Doug Osborne, Vaughn Olsen, Allan Olsen, and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
    Dad was preceded in death by his infant son, Kristopher Scott Osborne, his mother, Elaine Chapoose, father, Elden Osborne, stepfather, Max Chapoose, stepmother, Sharlene Allred, brothers, Michael Osborne and Kerry Olsen, brother-in-law, Roy Hatch, sister-in-law, Jacqueline Chapoose.
    We would like to thank the staff at The Ridge at Beavercreek for their love and care of our dad – especially the caregivers who never stopped speaking to him and called him Johnny and Papa Smurf. We are also grateful to the nurses from Day City Hospice for the love and care they showed as Dad became more dependent on them and for their tender help as he passed from this life.
    We are grateful for the many friends and colleagues who have continued to reach out to us and share their love for our dad.
    Funeral services will be on Monday, November 25, 2024 at 1:00 PM at the Central Park Chapel, 447 E. Lagoon St., Roosevelt, Utah with a viewing from 12:00 - 12:45 PM.  
    Burial will be in the Roosevelt Memorial Park with military honors presented by the Roosevelt American Legion and the Air Force Honor Guard.
    “And there’s bound to be rough waters, and I know I’ll take some falls, but with the good Lord as my captain, I can make it through them all.” – Victoria Shaw / Garth Brooks