Colonel William “Bill” R. Osborne, USAF (Ret.), 71, of Fountain Inn, SC, loving husband of Elizabeth “Beth” H. Osborne, went to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Tuesday, July 21, 2026. Born in Rock Hill, SC, he was the son of the late Gene L. Osborne and the late Patsy Garman Osborne.
He was devoted to his wife, Beth, and to his sons, Dan Osborne (Katie Bates) of Colorado and Robert Osborne of North Carolina. Other surviving family members include his stepmother, Sybil Osborne; sisters, Karen Osborne-Toney (Rich) and Terri Trice (Crawford); stepsisters, Cindy Crawford and Shaye Crisp (Larry). He was preceded in death by his sister Mary Belle Isle and brother Mike Osborne.
Bill served his country with a distinguished career. Upon graduating high school, Bill joined the U.S. Navy as an electronics technician stationed in Dixon, CA. After his Navy service, he returned home to earn his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Troy University. He transitioned to the U.S. Air Force Reserve, working as a Medical Evacuation Flight Nurse while pursuing his Master of Science in Nursing at Troy University and working at Jackson Hospital in Montgomery, AL.
Bill later reenlisted on active duty with the U.S. Air Force. During his Air Force career, Bill served in numerous leadership and clinical roles. Duty locations included Maxwell AFB, AL; Keesler AFB, MS; Eglin AFB, FL; Ramstein AFB, Germany; Landstuhl RMC, Germany; Elmendorf AFB, AK; Lackland AFB, TX; Joint Base Balad, Iraq, and San Antonio Military Medical Center, TX. He was also deployed to Kosovo, Macedonia, and Africa. After retiring from the USAF, Bill became the Director of Surgical Services at Shriners Hospital for Children in Greenville, SC.
Bill lived a full life and enjoyed woodworking, hunting, fishing (in Alaska), target shooting, and traveling with his wife Beth and their family. He is a member of Five Forks Methodist Church and the Greenville Woodworker’s Guild. He was an avid Auburn University fan (War Eagle!) and Troy University fan (Go Trojans!).
He will always be remembered as a gentleman, kind and courteous, with an infectious smile. Bill will be missed every day, but we joyfully celebrate his life. It is comforting to know that Bill has an eternal home in heaven with our Lord Jesus Christ.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, August 2, 2026, at Five Forks Methodist Church (901 Holland Rd, Simpsonville, SC, 29681) at 3:00 p.m. A receiving line will be held after the service. A Military Honors Service will be held on Monday, August 3, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at M. J. “Dolly” Cooper Veteran’s Cemetery (140 Inway Dr, Anderson, SC 29621).
Memorial contributions may be made to the Bill Osborne Memorial Youth Cross Mission at Five Forks Methodist Church.
26 Responses
Beth,
My thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family. May the love and peace of God’s spirit cover you all each and every day.
Beth, Sending love, hugs and prayers to you and your family. 🙏❤️🙏
Beth,
I am so sorry for your loss. My heart and prayers are with your family. May your husband be in the arms our Lord.
Let be you girl.
Cindy
Beth,
I am so sorry for your loss. My heart and prayers are with your family. May your husband be in the arms our Lord.
Love you girl
Cindy
Beth, my precious Alpha Gamma Delta sister, my heart is heavy for you and your family today in this great loss of your beloved Bill. What a wonderful man he was! I so deeply honor and respect his and your service to our country.
What a blessing it is to know that, as followers of Christ, we don’t grieve as the world does, but with an eternal hope in Jesus.
God bless you, Beth as you navigate these difficult days ahead. I love you! Cheryl
I absolutely loved serving with Bill in the USAF. I will never forget his smile and his let’s get it done attitude. Bill, you have made an impact on us all and the celebration of life will be like no other. Beth, my hugs to you and the boys in the entire family. I know Bill will look down upon you every day now that he is at peace.
Beth, my heart goes out to and your family! Col O as an amazing mentor to me during my military days. I always loved talking to him. My fond memories of him I will cherish forever. Sending you lots of love during these difficult times. Love, Cindee Conner
Beth, I am just now seeing this. My sincere condolences to you and your sons.
All the best,
Linda Harkins
Beth, I am just now seeing Bill’s obit. My heart and sincere condolences go out to you and your sons. I know your faith will carry you through this.
All the best,
Linda Harkins
Sending you and your family love, hugs prayers! I have so many fond, loving and funny memories of you and Bill at Troy. He was always such a fabulous man and adored you from the moment he met you!
I know he’s in the loving arms of our Lord, joining his sister and brother and other family and friends in heaven
Dear Beth,
Lauren and I were so saddened to hear about Bill’s passing. We are truly sorry for your loss. Bill was such a kind and wonderful man, and we feel fortunate to have known him.
Babak & Lauren
Dear Beth and boys. So so sorry for your loss. Bill is a great man and all of you were so helpful and supportive of Troop 156. And we had so much fun skiing together. Bill is gone way too soon. God’s love hold you close.
Beth, we are so sorry for your loss. Bill was a kind and sweet man. We always appreciated his sweet smile. He will be missed by all who knew him. – Georgia and Mike
Dear Beth,
Georgia and I are so sorry for your loss. We loved Bill and will miss his easy smile and quiet humor. We will be keeping you and your family in our prayers. May God hold you in the palm of His hand during this hard time.
Beth,
My heart goes out to you as I know your grief all too well. He is rejoicing in Heaven and I know you are at peace with that as you continue living, grateful to know that one day you will be reunited. God Bless you and all of the family. With love,
Your Alpha Gam sister, Lisa
We don’t grieve as the world grieves because we know our wonderful men are home, without pain and well again. Take one day at a time in God’s grace and faithfulness and know that ‘peace, be still’ is a comfort in our grief. Some day you may want to talk and you know I am always your friend, dear Beth.
Mike & I are so very sorry for your loss, Beth. Ahd yes, we will always remember Bill as a gentleman. He was just such a sweet man with a wonderful smile. Our hearts are breaking fir you & yours
Beth, so sorry for your loss. Bill was my buddy in Nursing School. A gentle giant!
I pray God comforts you and your family and friends. I know he has many friends both from the military and civilian life. He was a very kind man and admirable officer and leader in the USAF. I had the privilege of serving with him twice starting in 1990. I have enjoyed following your posts on FB as you guys enjoyed your retirement. God bless!
One of the kindest persons I have ever met. At wilford hall to sammc no change. Explain things simply and detailed plus the reason behind it. ¹
Beth and family, I am sorry for your loss and grateful he is in heaven with the Lord. Prayers for you every day and i understand what you are going through
I am available anytime for meals or errands
So sorry to hear of Bill’s passing. Such a full life he had but gone too soon. I was privileged to have served with him – he was such a rational thinker and easy to work with. Bill was always willing to go the extra mile, and countless individuals benefitted from his selfless and patriotic service whether in or out of uniform.
Beth, I’m so sorry. My heart goes out to you and your family. Sending hugs & prayers.
Beth, I’m sorry to learn of Bill’s passing. He ALWAYS had such a positive influence on me at Troy and Delta Chi. I’m truly sorry for your loss and look forward to the day of seeing again in Heaven.
Phil Sims
TSU ‘81
Beth, I so sorry to hear of Bills passing. I worked with Bill in the OR at Keesler and could always count on him for expert knowledge and friendship. My thoughts and prayers go out to you and the family.
I am so sorry to hear of Bill’s passing. He was a good man and had a huge heart. He was an asset to the Delta Chi Fraternity and while it’s been a long time since I last saw Bill, I remember his smile and his laugh. Rest in Peace Brother.