John Franklin Osborne of Rockport, passed away at the age of 77, on Sunday, April 5, 2020 at 5:15 p.m., with his daughter at his side, at Ascension St. Vincent in Evansville.
Born at home in Richland on February 1, 1943, to the late Paul and Bernice Osborne, during WW II, Frank would graduate from Richland High School in 1961 and go on to enlist as a member of the United States Navy for four years during the Vietnam War, where he served as a mechanic on the U.S.S. Warrington (DD-843). A lifetime member of the local steel workers union, he worked for Alcoa Corporation for 37 years, before retiring in 2004.
As a young man, he was an avid racer in the pioneering years of American Motocross and continued to ride his street bikes later in life. He enjoyed fishing, drawing, painting, gardening, and squeezing grandbabies at any chance he could catch them. He was eternally dedicated to his family, a jewel amongst men in his devotion to them.
In addition to his parents, Frank was preceded in death by his brother, Theodore “Teddy” Osborne, in 1985.
He is survived by his children, daughter Elizabeth Osborne Jackson (Guyman) of Evansville and son, Jeremy Osborne of Midway; grandchildren, Meghan Osborne Baggili (Ibrahim) of Connecticut, John Lucas Meyer (Jessica) of Evansville, Justin Osborne and Trevor Osborne; great-grandchildren, Lola, Zadie, Oliver, Foster, and Franklin J.; and his sister, Ellen Gasaway (John) of Tennyson.
A private memorial service will be held by the family at a later date. Boultinghouse Funeral Home in Rockport has been entrusted with care.
“Never give up” was his motto, and he was a fighter to the end. Friends may send a condolence to the family at www.BoultinghouseFuneralHome.com.
