Keith Osborne

Keith Osborne passed away at the age of 91 on August 23, 2020 at his home in Littleton with his family by his side. His death was due in part to complications associated with his struggle with Parkinson’s Disease. Although he may have left this world earlier than he wished, he filled every year of life to the brim. If you were to use four words to describe him, they could easily be: Faith, Family, Friends and Service.

Keith was born March 3, 1929 in Kearney, Nebraska to Robert Neal Osborne & Mary Anne Shanahan. He had an older sister Margaret (Peg - deceased) and a younger sister Kathleen (Ogallala, NB). His mother instilled in him a strong Catholic faith and pride in his Irish heritage. He had many stories about his Altar Boy service at church. In high school he played football, ran track, and boxed. Keith loved hunting throughout his youth. He also dug out a basement room by hand and helped with the kitchen addition to the family house. Little did he know, that would be one of the many building additions that would be a part of his life. He enrolled in Nebraska State College majoring in Business and PE. A semester before graduating, the Korean Conflict (war) would come calling, and he left school to serve his country. In June of 1951 Keith was inducted into the Army. His basic training and technical training would bounce him from the West to East coast to Texas before he was finally assigned to the 5th Light Aviation Section X Corps and served as Helicopter Mechanic Crew Chief. Prior to being shipped to Korea in the Fall of 1951, he was given a two week leave where he went back to Kearney to say good-bye to family. While home he also went to call on an old girlfriend at the college. Instead of the old girlfriend, a beautiful brunette freshman named Patricia Rae Johnson met him at the door. He was smitten with the pangs of a “forever” love and spent the rest of leave courting her. He arranged for her to correspond with him while he was off to war, and he got his little sister to hand deliver special earrings to her dorm before he left. Keith was then off to board a boat for Korea.

Keith did not elaborate a lot about his experiences in Korea. He did, however, embellish that he was able to give the Hollywood actress Debbie Reynolds her first helicopter ride during one of her USO visits.  We do know that he did see some of the ugliness of war which was shared in the later years. He later received a Purple Heart and two Bronze Stars. One Bronze Star was a Unit citation for combat operation and the second Bronze star was given to him and his pilot after returning from the longest flight behind enemy lines at the time it took place. He sailed home after his tour of duty was over in the summer of 1953.

Upon his return, it was all about family, work and making up for lost time. First would be to negotiate with Julius and Vera Johnson (Holdredge, NB) that he, a devote Catholic, should be able to marry their daughter, a devote Lutheran. That done, he took on Patricia’s brothers, Roger (deceased), twins Gary & Larry and sisters Barbera and Marilyn as family. Keith and Patricia were married in November of 1953. In a little over 10 years there were 6 kids, 5 cities, 9 apartments and 5 jobs. Patricia would say later in life that they didn’t have a pot to piss in and yet those were some of the best years.

Work wise Keith tried a lumber yard, being a salesman for Sexton foods in Chicago and Des Moines. He worked with Securities Acceptance Corp in Farmington, New Mexico where he was primarily repossessing vehicles. Those skills caught the eye of Arapahoe County Bank where he started in 1960. He even repossessed a herd of dairy cows - wrangling and driving. Dealing with the bad side of loans got him into the Loan department and from there he thrived in the banking world. His career would see the startup of Arapahoe County Bank which morphed into United Banks, then to branch banking, then to Norwest Banks and finally he retired from Wells Fargo Banks in Southwest Denver. He became President of United Bank of Littleton in 1977 and that would expand to multiple banks under his leadership, even including branches in Grand Junction and Steamboat Springs. His work had such positive economic effects on the communities in Littleton and surrounding areas that he was appointed and elected to numerous organizations and boards. He was appointed to the Chamber of Commerce in Littleton and Centennial, Littleton Police Association, and Porter Hospital trustee, to name but a few of 14. Keith truly started at the bottom and ended at the top.

Of course, the most defining aspect of Keith would be his and Patricia’s devotion to family. Raising six kids would be hard enough, but they helped out many of the extended family when times were tough. Their cooking skills became famous and people raved about their gravy and bread pudding. They were active in the church, 4-H, and YMCA. Patricia taught swimming and Keith not only coached little league sports but was one of the founding fathers of the Columbine Hills Sports Association. Keith, along with a couple of other fathers, drove the road grader that made the first football and baseball fields that are now Columbine Hills Park. He even initiated the first girls’ softball program which gave his youngest daughter Beth the chance to participate in Columbine sports. His six kids would grow into 23 grandchildren, including spouses, and 18 great-grandchildren. His hobby of hunting remained a great passion and he would weave that not only into his kids and grandkids, but into his work as well. If you banked with him, you didn’t go golfing - you went hunting. His hobby of woodworking would grow, and some say maybe bypass hunting. He was making train parts for great grandkids until the end.  It was often thought that he would pass in the wood shop. He had great pride in the Osborne cabin that has also grown as his family has.  Keith will live on through family.

Keith is preceded in death by his parents Robert and Mary Anne, older sister Peg, and grandson Brian.

Keith is survived by his wife, Patricia, his children: Patrick (Jean) Osborne, Mike (Karen) Osborne, Janis (Larry) Pottorff, Tom (Cindi) Osborne, Jerry (Mary Jo) Osborne, and Beth Osborne; his grandchildren: Laura Osborne, Shannon (Michael) Canono, Megan Osborne (Mario) Rodriguez, Jessica (Ryan) Paul, Jake (Lauren) Pottorff, Clay (Katelynn) Pottorff, Nathan (Kathryn) Osborne, Cori (Ryan) Spear, Mack Osborne, Will Osborne, Kyle (Kelcie) Osborne, Kelsey (Chad) Miller, Connor Osborne, and Kevin Osborne. His great-grandchildren: Lily, Jonah and Zoe Paul, Kya Pottorff, Harper, Hallie, Cameron and Kellen Pottorff, Mary Grace, Jane and Robert Osborne, Adalynn and Charlotte Spear, Averie and Quinn Osborne, Brooklynn, Camden and Madynn Miller.

A private Funeral Mass for family only will be given on September 11, 2020 at St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church at 10:30 am.  Burial will follow at Fort Logan National Cemetery at 1:15 pm.

Please join us virtually on Friday, September 11 for the 10:30 service. The site will open 10 minutes before the beginning of the service. https://youtu.be/PciTSaF-gy8