Phyllis Irene Osborne

Phyllis Irene Osborne, 87, of Coupeville, was called home to her Lord on Jan. 8, 2008. She was born Dec. 12, 1920, in Cayuga Falls, Ohio to Theodore and Phoebe Lance and was one of ten children. She attended high school in Cayuga Falls, but left prior to graduation. In 1970, she completed her GED and received her diploma.

Following high school, Phyllis worked as a short order cook and also as a clerk in retail sales. When World War II began, she enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps and was stationed at an Army airfield in Indianapolis.

Phyllis returned to civilian life and began working as a bus driver for the city of Akron, Ohio. While there, she met a bus mechanic, Clarence Osborne. Phyllis and Clarence were married in 1947. Clarence had been discharged from the U.S. Army Air Force at the end of the war. He reenlisted in the U.S. Air Force after he and Phyllis were married.

The Air Force moved the Osbornes to Air Force bases at Chenute, Ill., Kadena, Japan, Hamilton, Calif., France, Belgium, Florida, North Carolina, two tours of Vietnam and Mather AFB Sacramento. Clarence retired and he and Phyllis settled in Prunedale, Calif., and then moved on to Sonora.

Clarence died in 1999 and Phyllis lived with a daughter in Morgan Hill, Calif., for a time. In 2005, Phyllis moved to Coupeville to live with her son.

Phyllis is survived by one son Lance of Coupeville; three daughters, Rhea Aliers of Twin Falls, Idaho, Diane Lalicker of Medical Lake, Wash., and Phyllis McLaughlin of Morgan Hill, Calif.; 12 grandchildren and numerous great and great-great-grandchildren. Her husband, nine brothers and sisters and one grandchild, Christina Aliers, preceded her in death.

Funeral services for Phyllis Osborne will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, Jan. 14, at Burley Funeral Chapel, with Rev. Rachel Taber-Hamilton of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Oak Harbor officiating. Cremation will follow with urn burial at San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery, Santa Nella, Calif. Visitation will be held at Burley Funeral Chapel on Sunday, Jan. 13, from 2 to 5 p.m. Arrangements are entrusted to Burley Funeral Chapel, Oak Harbor.