Barry K. Osborn

Barry Keith Osborn, 75, of Rockford, Illinois, passed away Friday, June 28, 2024 at OSF Emergency Room, from cardiac arrest. He fought long and hard for four years against multiple debilitating illnesses. He showed his great inner strength every day.
Barry was born on October 15, 1948, in Hart, Michigan, to Earl M. and Arlene W. (Reames) Osborn. He was a graduate of Hart High School, class of 1966, and went on to earn his Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering at Michigan Tech in Houghton, Michigan, class of 1971.
He started his career at Texas Instruments in Dallas, Texas. Through the span of his career, he was employed at various companies in Rockford as an engineering manager. His last employment was at Walt, Ltd. In DeKalb, Illinois, as a tooling manager. He loved all of his jobs and always gave 100% to them.
Barry married Diane Dahlstrand on September 19, 1981. This year they would have celebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary. The birth of their two sons, Matthew and Mark, soon followed, which fulfilled one of Barry's lifelong wishes.
One of his great passions in life was going back to his hometown, Hart, Michigan, for deer hunting season or for fishing, often with one or both of his sons. Family vacations in Wisconsin were also one of the times that he always looked forward to. He also loved to work on cars or anything mechanical. He shared his mechanical expertise frequently and always offered a lending hand to anyone who asked for his help. Barry had a great sense of humor and loved to tell jokes. He was also an avid golfer throughout his life. When he was more sedentary, he really enjoyed spending time completing sudoku puzzles or streaming the internet for hunting or fishing videos.
His drive in life was to support his family and teach his two sons all of the knowledge that he could pass down to them. He loved watching his two sons grow up playing baseball, football and basketball, as well as coaching them on several teams. Matthew and Mark always knew their dad would always be at every game, and they would hear him cheering for them. He didn't miss a game. As time moved forward, he was exceptionally proud of both of his sons for their accomplishments and successes in their adult lives. His advice and his listening ear will be greatly missed.
He is survived by his wife, Diane Osborn; children, Matthew (Karen) Osborn of Caledonia, Illinois and Mark (Amanda Fontaine) Osborn of Hart, Michigan; grandfather to Mackenzie and Kennedy Osborn; a lifetime spent with special sister-in-law, Donna Windeatt; uncle to Carlie (Russ) Wade of Winnebago, Illinois, Robin (Mike) Slomczewski of Franklin, Wisconsin, Kimberly (Danny) Smith of Algonquin, Illinois, Kelley (Joe) Alioto of Barrington, Illinois, Tyler (Kayla) Dahlstrand of Texas and Jake Dahlstrand of Texas; and many other nieces, nephews and cousins. Predeceased by his parents; sister, Marcia; and brothers-in-law, Gerry Malburg and Kent Dahlstrand.
Visitation will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 13, 2024 at Fred C. Olson Chapel, 1001 Second Ave., Rockford. Please enjoy the video on this web page (click on Tribute Wall Tab) celebrating Barry's life where you can also share a memory or condolence.