George Osborne Obituary

March 29, 1943 -

April 19, 2025

Funeral service is today, Friday, April 25 at Queen of the Holy Rosary in Overland Park, KS

10-11 am - visitation

11am - mass

Friends will gather at Strang Hall for an informal lunch following.

Burial will be Tuesday, April 29 at 12:30 pm at Leavenworth National Cemetery.

George, beloved husband, father and friend, left us after a prolonged fight against prostate cancer.

George grew up in Holton, KS and lived most of his life in Lawrence on Louisiana Street. As a young man he served in the Marines during the Vietnam War. After returning from service, he went to college and went on to work in landscape design, going on to serve as Superintendent of Parks and Forestry for the City of Lawrence. In this role he designed and oversaw the care of Lawrence parks, including selecting the trees that you can still see at Watson Park today.

After George's retirement from the City of Lawrence, he founded and ran Go Land Design, a private landscaping design and installation company based in Lawrence, specializing in water gardens. Until the end of his days, he loved plants and gardens, happy to identify any plant by its scientific name upon request. George was fond of traveling, especially in nature, and enjoyed recalling trips to places like Catalina Island; Belize; Colombia; and, recently, to Japan to meet his grandchild, Liam.

In 1978 George joined an annual canoe trip down the Buffalo River in Arkansas. He completed over 30 canoe trips with the same group of canoers who affectionately nick-named him "The General." After a day of canoeing he loved to set up his tent and enjoy a martini with his friends while watching the river flow by.

George also enjoyed biking trips. He biked the 1983 RAGBRAI (Bike Ride Across Iowa), crossing the state and logging over 400 miles over 7 days, and completed numerous other long-distance bike rides.

George loved his fishing vest, taking the scenic route when possible, sipping on an old fashioned, and doing business the old-fashioned, sit-down, in-person kind of way. He enjoyed a wide range of movies, and had an uncanny memory to the last, able to name roads and highways, tell stories from his childhood, and even recall the weather on specific days in the past when asked. He did not like to "smile on command" in photos, but was generous with hugs and care. He enjoyed reading, with a particular appreciation for Annie Proulx and John McPhee, and he subscribed to the belief that "If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need."

George often expressed gratitude for the doctors, nurses and staff at the VA who managed his care, especially folks at the Topeka clinic. His family shares the sentiment.

George is pre-deceased by his father Ralph, mother Norma, and beloved brother Dan. He is survived by wife Clara; son Nick and his wife Haruna; grandson Liam; stepdaughter Christina and her husband Andrés; and a bevy of friends.

George shared this advice to all gardeners: "Green side up, brown side down."