Donald Allan Osborne passed away peacefully in his home on March 24, 2018, to be with his Father in heaven and his beautiful bride, Dorothy. He faithfully loved, served and honored both since the day he first encountered their love and spoke often about being reunited with her while in the presence of their Lord and Saviour someday.
Born in Mt Kisco, NY to Solomon and Blanche Osborn, he graduated Pawling High School in 1942. He went on to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy from Ithaca College in 1949, was a member of Chi Beta Phi and featured as Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities.
Donald served in the US Army Air Forces in WWII where he met and married his wife of 71 years, Dorothy Grey Fagge. Donald was first stationed in Greensboro and later that well-loved recliner where he watched his family eat, laugh, love, grow, heal from life’s hardest lessons and revel in life’s most beautiful gifts for generations.
He lived in Pawling, NY and worked at Northern Westchester Hospital where he spearheaded the Physical Therapy department and later moved into leadership and hospital administration. His passion for rehabilitation and service was featured in LIFE magazine in 1960.
Father to two children, Lynne Osborne Wilcox and Robert and wife Debby (Hicks) Osborne, all of Pawling. He adored his seven grandchildren, John Wilcox and wife Amy of Knoxville, TN, Beth (Wilcox) Rollins and husband Jeff of Brewster, NY, Emily Grey (Wilcox) Voudren and husband Dan of Pawling, Staff Sergeant Matthew Allan Wilcox and wife Jen (Scalfari) of New York Mills and Fort Drum, NY, Chelsea (Osborne) Pearson and husband Robert of Charlotte, NC, Robert Solomon Osborne and Courtney Osborne, all of Pawling. He was adored by niece June (Burwell) Rundall and captivated by the energy, youth, and joy of his 15 great-grandchildren.
His family will surely carry on his memory and legacy of humility, discipline, and wisdom with a sense of a humor and sincere gratitude for the simple and most significant things in life. He was a twinkling eyed-joker, a base firefighter in Hawaii for the USAAF, former drummer for the Sentimentalists, a faithful member and deacon of Central Baptist Church of Pawling and Second Kent Baptist Church of Carmel, NY and the firm foundation on which our family was built. A lover of Scripture, pot roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, Jeopardy, the Lone Ranger and anything that made his wife happy. Don was present, grounded, firmly planted and knew that both his identity and his ultimate calling in life was to be a servant of the One who gave him eternal life and the family who gave him pride, fulfillment and the deepest joy.
Don used to console his children and say “don’t cry, it be alright” as tears fell down his own face. In the words of Billy Graham, “I’ve read the last page of the Bible. It’s all going to turn out all right.” And then one day, I’ll cross the river (but won’t get wet) and fight life’s final war with pain. And then, as death gives way to victory I’ll see the lights of glory and I’ll know He reigns. Because He lives, we can face tomorrow, because He lives, all fear is gone. Because we know He holds the future, and life is worth the living, just because He lives.
Family and friends may pay their respects Wednesday, March 28th 4-8 PM at the Horn & Thomes, Inc. Funeral Home, 83 East Main Street, Pawling. The American Legion will conduct a service at 7:30 PM. Funeral services will be held on Thursday at 11 AM at the Central Baptist Church of Pawling, NY. Burial to follow in Pawling Cemetery.
