Willard C. Osburn III

Willard C. Osburn III, 68, of Cornelius, NC, passed away on March 2, 2025.

Willard was born in Stuart, VA on July 11, 1956 to the late Willard and Marthalea Osburn.

He is survived by his loving wife of 43 years, Barbara Osburn; son, Kellen Osburn (Karah); daughter, Jessica Osburn; sister, Neill Delaney (Bryan); two granddaughters, Adelei Osburn and Aubrey Osburn; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Willard had a long career with Duke Energy in Radiation Protection for over 30 years. He was a diehard Hokie (Humbah!) and had a love for the finer things in life, including skiing and the Grateful Dead. Willard never met a stranger and extended his kindness and selflessness personally to everyone he met and into the community in many ways, including his involvement with the Boy Scouts and his long and faithful support of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. He was rich with friends from many different backgrounds, interests, and ages and made it a priority to keep those connections strong.

One of Willard’s most noted and endearing traits was his ability to soldier on with a smile on his face even when faced with true adversity. Rather than being consumed by the challenges he faced, Willard chose a path of love and joy. Rather than comparing himself to others or wishing things away, he had a graceful contentment and embraced the life he had, truly living into the lyrics, “The grass ain’t greener, the wine ain’t sweeter, either side of the hill.”

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, April 5, 2025 at 10:30 AM at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church with a private family committal and a celebration of life at the Rafters immediately following.

In lieu of flowers, Willard wished for donations, which may be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) and St. Mark’s Episcopal Church.