William Ellsworth Osborne, age 86, died June 17, 2015, at Skagit Valley Hospital in Mount Vernon.

He was born May 8, 1929, in Jackson, Ohio, to David and Birdie Osborne.

Bill was raised on a small country farm in Jackson. After the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, Bill was compelled to serve his country. Lying about his age, Bill enlisted in the Army Air Corps. When the Japanese surrendered, he was sent to Japan as part of the occupational forces and was assigned as a train conductor.

After three years of service, Bill became a part of the transition from the Army Air Corps to the U.S. Air Force, where he remained for more than 20 years.

He was married to his first wife, Donna, in 1949, and that marriage lasted until 1975.

The Air Force took him to Japan, Morocco, Labrador, California, West Virginia, Alaska and, finally, Mississippi, where he retired.

He returned to Alaska, where he began a second career as an electrician for the Alaska Railroad in Anchorage.

Bill left Anchorage and moved to Escondido, Calif., where he began a new career with Federal Civil Service.

He was married to Helen Woodward in 1977 in Oceanside, Calif. The government moved him to Colorado Springs, Colo., and then on to Tucson, Ariz., where he retired in 1992 for a second time.

In 2014, Bill and Helen moved to Oak Harbor to be with family.

Bill loved trains, Louis L’Amour novels, traveling and the train ride through the Verde Canyon.

He was a handsome man and a great storyteller, reminiscing about his youth and his military service. He loved to laugh, but most of all he loved his family and he loved his wife, Helen.

Bill is survived by his wife; by two daughters, Nadada Mascorella and husband William of Oak Harbor, and Cynthia Cogdell and husband Chuck of Tooele, Utah; one brother, Lowell Osborne of Springfield, Ohio; and one sister, Helen Hill of Desert Springs, Calif. Seven grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren also survive.

Funeral services for William Osborne will be held 2 p.m. Friday, June 26, at Wallin Funeral Home in Oak Harbor. Gary Wallin will serve as life celebrant. Military honors will follow under the auspices of the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard. A viewing will be held at Wallin Funeral Home from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and immediately following the services. Cremation will follow with private family interment.

Please visit Bill’s page in the Book of Memories at www.wallinfuneralchapel.com to share memories and condolences. Arrangements are entrusted to Wallin Funeral Home & Cremation, LLC, Oak Harbor.