John A. L. Osborn

John Alexander Linn Osborn, 87, passed away peacefully at Kaiser Hospital with his family at his side. He was born in Evanston, Illinois in 1929 to Edith and George Osborn and considered himself a "crash" baby. John lived his childhood in Geneva, Illinois, but his fondest memories were the summers he spent in the pine forest of Mountain, Wisconsin. There he communed with nature, admired the insects, and explored the Oconto River.
John served in the Navy from 1950-54 and served as a Hospital Corpsman on the USS Bayfield in the waters of Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Upon returning he had so many interests that he studied zoology, art, and political science before earning his degree in philosophy from the University of Illinois.
In June of 1969 John met Lorraine (Lorrie) at a Mensa party in Chicago. Eleven weeks later they were married and on their way to Berkeley, CA where Lorrie was enrolled as a grad student. In his words, "Best thing I ever did." They were married for 47 years.
John and Lorrie have two children, Andrew, born in 1973, and Heather, born in 1977. As a family they had many adventures - spending summers in Wisconsin, living in Seoul, Korea for two years, camping, travelling, snorkeling and more.
John worked for UC Berkeley's Biological Control Division of the entomology department for 6 years. He went on to a career in art, first sculpting whales, then creating jewelry and belt buckles by carving his designs under a microscope. He later turned to "figurative tiling" and produced many unique drawings and puzzles which may be seen on his website: www.ozbird.net.
His enduring interests included reading and writing about critical rational philosophy, evolutionary biology, and nutrition. Everyone would agree that John always "thought outside the box," and wanted to save the world. He was a member of Mensa, Intertel, and the Triple Nine Society.
John will be greatly missed by his wife, Lorrie; his son, Andrew (Stacey); his daughter Heather (John); and his five grandchildren: Frederick, Endlessette, Harry, John, and Alyrica. He is predeceased by his older brother, Bland. Upon his request, no services will be held.
Donations may be made in his memory to the DVRTA Scholarship Foundation, P.O. Box 4292, Walnut Creek, CA 94596, or to a progressive organization of your choice.