Ronald Mark Osborne

Obituary of Ronald Mark Osborne July 1, 2016 Loving husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather, Ronald Mark Osborne 93, passed away on July 1 , 2016 at Michaud Residential Health Services in Fulton, NY. He was born on March 4, 1923 in Fulton, New York to Mark and Myrtle Osborne. Ron grew up in Fulton; attended Fulton High School participating in basketball, tennis and numerous extracurricular organizations. He graduated with honors in math and general knowledge in 1940. After high school Ron started college at Syracuse University in business administration but that was interrupted in 1943 by World War II. He served in the Army from March 1943 until January 1946 starting out in the Army Special Training Program for interpreters. He subsequently trained in transportation and communications and served actively in France, Belgium and Germany during 1944 and 1945, where he primarily transported dispatches and personnel between the front lines and command headquarters. He earned a bronze star for action seen in the Battle of the Bulge and the Remagen Bridge Head. Before going overseas, Ron stopped in Fulton long enough to marry his long time neighborhood friend and companion, Ethel Keller on August 6, 1943 at All Saints Episcopal Church. Ron returned to Syracuse University after his Army discharge completing his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration in 1946. At that time he joined his father in a business that was started in Fulton in 1940 to design and build new and recondition used paper making machinery called Osborne Paper Mill Equipment Corporation. Ron was active in that business as the financial manager, sales manager and vice president until the business was sold in 1966 to Ross Industries. During this period of time Ron returned to Syracuse University night school completing course work for a Masters Degree in Production/Industrial Management. He was also very active in the Fulton community, serving on the Recreation Commission, Chaired a High School Improvement Committee, United Fund Drives and Red Cross Blood Drives. He was also active as a Free Mason and in the Fulton Kiwanis Club where he served as President of the Club and subsequently served as Kiwanis New York State Lieutenant Governor for the Ontario Division. He won the Fulton city tennis championship and also volunteered as a basketball referee; officiating high school and college level games all over central New York. In 1970 he left Ross Industries, living and working for Farrel Corp in Ansonia, Connecticut, Rice Barton Corp in Worchester, Massachusetts and was self employed as R. Osborne Associates from 1974 to 2001 located in Richmond, Virginia. He continued to buy and sell paper mill equipment and consult for paper mills all over the world and was an expert paper mill assessor recognized by the Technical Association of Pulp and Paper Institute and US Treasury Department. Ron and Ethel were happily married for an amazing 71 years and together raised four independent, loving sons. They were long time square dancers and bridge players in New York, Massachusetts and Virginia. Ron enjoyed softball, tennis and golf throughout most of his life. Ron retired to Warwick, Rhode Island in 2001 but continued to enjoy an active social life as a Wal-Mart store Greeter until moving back to Fulton in 2015. Ron was preceded in death by Ethel, his parents, his brothers Neil and Carlyle and sister Beverly O’Donnell. He is survived by his sisters, Audrey Hansen of East Hampton, CT and Sheila Hayden of Fulton, NY; sons, Neil (Elizabeth) of Soquel, CA, Daryl of Oswego, NY, Alan (Joann) of Medway, MA, and Kevin (Mary Ellen) of Gales Ferry, CT; 8 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren. A funeral service will be held 10 a.m. Friday, July 8 at Foster Funeral Home, 910 Fay St., Fulton with burial in Mt. Adnah Cemetery with military honors. Calling hours are 2 to 5 p.m. Thursday, July 7 at the funeral home.