Obituary of John Osbourne

John Osbourne, 91, passed away peacefully on March 19, 2014 surrounded by his loving family. Oldest son of Ada and Alfred Osbourne, John was born and raised in Hull, England. While serving in the Royal Air Force (WWII) and stationed in Greenwood, Nova Scotia, he met his wife Kath. They were married 70 years ago on 3/3/44, in Nova Scotia and then returned to England for 12 years. In 1957, a job opportunity brought John and Kath and their two daughters from England to Waterville, Maine, where he began working as a bacteriologist specializing in infectious disease in poultry. He was the third employee hired at Maine Biological Laboratories and eventually became a partner. He retired in 1992. John was committed to the passions in his life. First and foremost was his family. His love for sports (soccer and tennis) followed closely behind. He was instrumental in starting the Boys Club youth soccer program in Waterville in the 1957. Over the years he coached many youth teams including those of his two sons. He spent many years as assistant coach for the Colby College men and women’s soccer teams until 1999. He refereed for many years and was a founding member and president of the New England Interscholastic Soccer Officials Association. He holds the distinct honor of being the first inductee to the Maine Soccer Hall of Fame. In 2012, he was honored at the Waterville Boys and Girls Club as a Maine Sports Legend. John simply followed his passions in life, never for recognition or accolades, but just for the love of the game. He also loved the game of tennis. It was likely if he was not on a soccer field, he was on the clay courts at Colby College. John taught every one of his twelve grandchildren the love for soccer and tennis. For many years there was a 4th of July Osbourne family tennis tournament which John loved to organize. He was well known to frustrate opponents of all ages with his vicious spins and cagey tactics--all with a knowing smile. John loved music. He was an avid jazz fan and loved to play the piano. He and Kath also loved ballroom dancing and could be counted on to cut the rug at many dance functions in Waterville. He was devoted to the Waterville Boys and Girls Club. He served as a member of the board and was inducted into the Alfond Youth Center Hall of Fame in 1995. John and Kath moved from their Waterville home of 57 years to Kittery in December, 2012, to be closer to family. He was blessed to have been able to enjoy time with his two great grandsons. He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Kath; brother, Keith (South Africa); sister, Mavis (England); daughter, Christine and her husband, Rob Dalzell (Falmouth, ME), daughter, Deborah Winters (Kittery, ME), son Michael and his wife Melinda (Amherst, NH), and son Kendall (Springfield, NJ). He is also survived by 12 grandchildren and two great grandsons who adored him. Services will be held on April 19 at 1:00 PM at the First Congregational Church in Waterville, Maine where John and Kath were members for over 50 years. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Waterville Boys and Girls Club in John's name. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www.directcremationofmaine.com