Barbara J. Osbourn

Longtime local resident of Steamboat Springs, CO;  Barbara (Turner) Osbourn passed away peacefully in her home with her loving family at her side. Barb was born and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska. She was the middle child of three children born to George and June Turner. 

She is preceded in death by her parents and her older brother George “Cork” Turner and her husband James Osbourn. She is survived by her sister Jan Walker (Cecil Walker and their children Bob, Rich and Anne Yancey, their spouses and children). Barb is also survived by her three adult children, Jim Jr. (Ginny and children Annie and Jimmy), Matt and his sons Sam and Max, and her daughter Katie Field (John Field, and their children Michael, Elizabeth and Andrew (his wife Annalise and son Henry). 

Raised in a loving household, Barb credited her mother for being an exceptional mother that kept an immaculate home, cooked delicious meals and planted lovely gardens with the same loving care that she tended to her family. Barb learned these lessons well and provided the same devotion to her children, husband, home and gardens. Barb considered herself a midwestern girl at heart. She was adventurous, witty, independent and welcomed new experiences. She met a circle of friends in kindergarten and maintained these lifelong friendships adding new friends throughout her life. A skilled athlete, she excelled at golf, swimming and later skiing. As a college student she spent summers working and living in Yellowstone National Park and had a deep appreciation for wildlife and nature. She graduated from The University of Nebraska and remained a loyal Cornhusker. She earned a bachelor's degree in elementary education. Upon graduating from college, Barb became a flight attendant for United Airlines. Barb loved this exciting job with her girlfriends living in Boston and Cape Cod. She relocated to Denver and lived with three friends in a duplex. On the other side of the duplex were four young men, among them was Jim Osbourn. He captured her heart and the two married and began a 66 year long marriage filled with adventure, travel, skiing, sports and raising their three children. The children were at the heart of everything they did during their time here on Earth. Barb was years ahead of her time. She was intelligent, independent, loved nature, studied birds, planted gardens and worked and volunteered while raising her children. In retirement, she and Jim enjoyed volunteering at ski events. Their highlight was volunteering at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in 2002 with a committed group of volunteers from Steamboat. From her children, to her home, gardens and birdhouses, everything she touched was with a gentle hand, an accepting heart, laughter and joy. She loved being surrounded by her children and grandchildren and forged beautiful relationships with all of us. Wise, loving, caring, creative, funny and no-nonsense, her wisdom will continue to guide us and will be dearly missed. 

Never wishing to be the center of attention, Barb did not want a funeral or celebration of life gathering. The Osbourn family wishes to thank Blue Skies Nursing and Northwest Colorado Health Hospice for providing skilled and compassionate care to Barb and helping the family navigate her end of life care with dignity. Donations can be made to these worthy organizations or any charity of your choice.