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 THE LIBERTARIAN ENTERPRISE Number 824, May 31, 2015 Neale Osborn 1964-2015
Attribute to L. Neil Smith's The Libertarian Enterprise A frequent and favorite contributor to the virtual pages of this journal, Neale Osborn, died of a heart attack lst week. He was ONLY 51 years old; I'm 69, and I'd always expected him to write my obituary, rather than the other way around.It's a lot like losing a brother or a child. Neale's personality could be summed up, like James T.. Kirk's, in a single sentence, from Spock, in the Star Trek movie about the whales: he was "a man of considerable passion". He was one of the most vigorously enthusiastic human beings I've ever known. Everything he was could be seen, right there on the surface. For good or ill, he didn't have a sneaky or deceptive bone in his body. He didn't avoid hard work; he was an energetic Scout leader and two of his sons became Eagles. He loved a good war of words, online or in person. There wasn't a cowardly side to the man. He was never afraid of getting his hands dirty. I guess I met Neale about 25 years go. He was just courting the young woman who would become his wife and the mother of his children. A plumber by trade, sometime afterward he moved east to upstate New York and became a farmer. Thanks to medical incompetents in the corporation he worked part time for, he suffered a stroke a few years back, but simply got on with his life. He never expressed a self-pitying thought to me. When I suffered a stroke of my own last year, he became my inspiration for enduring -- and surviving -- Mother Nature's dirty tricks. Neale was a family man, and extraordinarily proud of it. In his view, he'd won himself a beauty queen, and in our occasional long phone conversations, he spent a lot of time talking about her and their four children. He always wanted to know about my wife and daughter, as well. Then the conversation would get down to guns and politics. We could have bored thousands. I won't go into that here. Some people thought he was brash and abrasive. I knew that was exactly what it would take to deal with the dangers around us and take our country back. He may well be the most honest, direct, and straightforward man I've ever known. We were proud that the suit-and-tie parts of the movement regarded us as hooligans;I was proud to march with him, shoulder-to-shoulder. Some of that was rhetorical -- we didn't march, we harangued, and my shoulder only came up to his elbow. I was especially proud of what a fine writer he became. I have lately come to understand that people often personify death -- as the Grim Reaper, for instance -- so they can hate it. Neale Osborn's sudden death was random, and decades before it should have come. I have missed him since he moved. I will miss him for as long as I live, I wish to hell I had someone or something I could hate for that. Donations in memorium of Neale, to contribute to the continued welfare of his wife, Annette, and their children may go to the following site: Donate to Mr. Osborn's family
Neale F.P. Osborn, age 51, of Campbell passed away unexpectedly on Friday, May 22, 2015 at Guthrie Corning Hospital, Corning. Neale was born on January 11, 1964 in Wall, NJ, the son of Forrest and Linda (Clark) Osborn. He married Annette M. Schneider on August 17, 1991 in Bradley Beach, NJ. Beloved husband, father, brother, son and uncle; He is survived by his loving wife: Annette M. Osborn of Campbell, NY; children: Mathew (20), Jacob (18), Lucas (15) and Linda Marie (10) Parents: Forrest and Linda Osborn of NJ; nephew: Dominick Vacchiano of NJ, sisters: Lisa Diane Osborn of NJ, and Lindy-Sue Osborn of NJ. Neale and Annette moved to the Finger Lakes Region nearly 20 years ago to start and raise their family. Neale worked for Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 267. He was a Cubmaster for Pack 42 in Campbell for many years and continued to be an active adult volunteer in Boy Scout Troop 2042. He proudly supported his 2 oldest sons, Matthew and Jacob in their journey to Eagle Scouts. He was known by many children in his community as the "Mr. Osborn, the leader in the cowboy hat". Neale was a devoted husband and father, a trusted friend, and a well loved man. Donations in memorium of Neale, to contribute to the continued welfare of his wife, Annette, and their children may go to the following site: Donate to Mr. Osborn's family
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