Pamela Diane Osborne

Pamela Diane Osborne age 76 of Haslett, Michigan died Thursday, August 20, 2020 at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, Ingham County, Michigan. Pam’s passing was peaceful and painless. Pam was born in Bellevue, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania on October 25, 1943 and grew up in Royal Oak, Michigan. She moved to East Lansing her senior year of high school and graduated from East Lansing high school in 1961. She attended Michigan State University where she received a B.S. degree in elementary education graduating in 1965. While at Michigan State Pam was a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority (Beta Epsilon). She remained active with her sorority after graduation as a member of the Beta Iota Beta alumnae chapter. She served on the House Corporation Board for many years eventually being responsible for overseeing operations and maintenance of the sorority house.

She will be remembered by her family as being a kind and thoughtful person who loved working with young children, gardening, doing family genealogy, collecting antiques and spending time with her family. She always said that her family was the most important thing in her life and was immensely proud of her two daughters and especially enjoyed watching her two young grandsons grow into manhood. She lived her life according to a phrase she learned as a Brownie growing up in Royal Oak, Michigan - “Make new friends but keep the old for one is silver and the other gold.” As a result she had many, many friends. Pam was a real strong woman with great tenacity and determination.

She was a teacher at Garden City and Haslett (Ralya and Murphy) schools, staff member of the Okemos Public Schools child care program and was the Director of the Abbott Nursery school in East Lansing for several years until her retirement in 1997. She found tremendous joy in helping “her” little children begin their educational journey. Pam was a founding member of Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Haslett, Michigan. She was also a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and was instrumental in helping many women in the Lansing area become members.

Pamela was a past-president of the national Israel Family Reunion Association. Over the years she wrote and published several books and research articles on her numerous families and was a speaker and presenter at national reunions. She loved history and found doing family genealogy to be an interesting way of learning more about America’s history. Although she loved reading mystery stories she found genealogy more intriguing. She loved traveling around the country going to research libraries, courthouses, and cemeteries searching for information about her families and connecting with family members she never knew about. We are sure she is finally discovering answers to all of her genealogical questions.

Pamela was a founding member and a past-president of the Haslett, Michigan Child Study, and Haslett Women’s Study. She was an avid reader her entire life and especially enjoyed meeting and sharing time with her close and dear friends in her book club. Pam’s grandsons fondly remember her “Pam” cakes, great Christmas stockings, shopping for books at Schulers, playing Candyland and Scrabble, and spending the night on Thanksgiving weekend.

The family wishes to express their thanks to Kimberly Heatherington and Chelsea Wismar of the Burcham Hills Outpatient Therapy Clinic for the care and kindness they gave Pam and to the staff of the Comfort Care unit of Sparrow Hospital. Also to her daughter, Vanessa, who was able to provide special love and care for her mother over the past several years and to Dempsey her dog and best reading pal who gave her much love and happiness the last two years.

Pamela was preceded in death by her parents, James Robert Woods and Marion Louise Hime. She is survived by her husband, Dr. John Robert Osborne who she married on August 24, 1968 in East Lansing and two daughters: Amanda Maureen Hegarty (Neal) of Grand Blanc, Michigan, and Vanessa Kathleen Osborne of Haslett, Michigan; grandsons James Pierce Hegarty and Patrick Thomas Hegarty both of Grand Blanc, Michigan: sister Kathleen Noel Rodriguez (Anselmo) of Okemos, Michigan; brother and sister in-law, Thomas Lee Osborne (Kami) of Savannah, Georgia and nieces and nephews: Geoffrey Robert Keller (Lauren), George Andrew Keller (Jennifer Carden), Ryan Paul Tyler (Catherine), Kai Elizabeth Louis (John), Kamann Rae Ravan (James), and Thomas Keenan Osborne; and extended family member Dr. Patrick Vincent Hegarty of Okemos, Michigan.

A private graveside service will be held at the Glendale cemetery in Okemos, Michigan on Monday, August 24, 2020. Because of the current COVID-19 pandemic a Celebration of Life will be conducted at a future date when family and friends can safely gather. In lieu of flowers please make a contribution to the Haslett Food Pantry located at Haslett Community Church. P.O. Box 217; 1427 Haslett Road; Haslett, Michigan 48840. The family is being served by Gorsline-Runciman of East Lansing, Michigan. Please share memories and condolences online at www.greastlansing.com