Rev. William Osborn
Deceased: 2022-08-05
Diocese: SIOUX FALLS
ICTE Fall: 1991
Reverend William (Father Bill) Osborn died at Avera McKennan on August 25, 2022. He was 82 years old.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be prayed at 10:30 AM on Monday, August 29, 2022 at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Huron. The Reverend Joseph Vogel will be the main celebrant and homilist with the Most Reverend Donald E. DeGrood providing the committal rite. Burial will follow at St. Martin Cemetery in Huron. The Rosary will be prayed at 2:00 PM, Sunday, August 28, 2022, followed by a liturgical wake service at Holy Spirit Church in Sioux Falls with Reverend Charles Cimpl presiding.
William Allen Osborn was born on August 13, 1940 in Huron, SD, he is one of three children born to Genevieve and Harold Osborn. Bill attended elementary school in Huron and Miller before graduating from Miller High School in 1958.
At the recommendation and encouragement of his pastor, Father Donald Molumby, Bill entered St. Jerome’s College a minor seminary in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada upon his completion of high school. The Diocese sponsored William’s seminary formation at St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, MN. On March 13, 1966, William was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Sioux Falls by Bishop Lambert Hoch in the midst of a typical South Dakota spring blizzard, as Father Bill was always so quick to share. Father Bill prayed his first Mass at St. Ann’s Church in Miller, SD, on March 13, 1966.
Father Osborn served at many different parishes during his years of assigned ministry. He fulfilled multiple assignments to St. Anthony, Hoven with stints at the Groton, Bristol, Lily, Turton, Doland, and Conde parishes in between. He was then asked to pastor the Ramona, Arlington, and Oldham parishes before being asked to serve in the St. Wenceslaus, Tabor and St. Bernard, Redfield pastorates prior to his retirement from assigned ministry in 2011. On more than one occasion Father Osborn provided help-out coverage for brother priests making sabbatical.
In retirement, Father Osborn provided substitute ministry all across the diocese while providing a priestly presence at St. Peter’s rectory in Colman. In addition, he was Apostle of the Sea Chaplain for Holland Cruise Line. He would later move to Sioux Falls to be closer to medical care, eventually becoming a member of the Avera Prince of Peace community while still offering ministry to the many he would encounter.
In addition to parish work, Father Osborn enjoyed travel, coaching softball teams in Hoven, SD; was active in the Koinonia movement, offering sacramental ministry and spiritual guidance to its members for many years. Father Osborn was always very proud of the fact that he was pastor of parishes where three priests, Father Joseph Vogel, Father John Radar, and Father Brian Simon, celebrated their first Masses, a sign of his immense love and unyielding support for his brother priests.
Grateful for having shared his life are his sister, Mary Lou (Fran) Campbell and their children, Shannon (Tim) Smith, and their children, Griffin, Aidan, Madden and Eleanor, Chris Campbell, his children Cooper, Katie and Brady, Mark (Kayla Stanton) Campbell and their children, Cashton and Brigston; his brother Dan (Cheryl) Osborn and their children, Nicholas (Kate) Osborn and their child Sawyer, and Courtney (Colby) Chambers and their daughter Olivia. He was preceded in death by his parents Harold and Genevieve Osborn.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to Parishes that Father Bill served, in care of the Catholic Dioceses office, 523 N. Duluth Avenue, Sioux Falls, SD 57104
