Richard J. Osborne Jr.
Longtime Haverhill Building Inspector Richard J. Osborne Jr., 70, passed away suddenly Jan. 21, at Loon Mountain in Lincoln, N.H., doing what he loved best, skiing the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
Born in Methuen, he was the son of the late Richard J. Osborne Sr. and Helen (Sullivan) Osborne. He was a graduate of St. James High School, class of 1970. He furthered his education at Wentworth Institute in Boston, graduating in 1972 with an associate’s degree in Construction Engineering. He was employed with the City of Haverhill for 35 years and 20 years of that he was the building inspector. Osborne was a jack of all trades, had the knowledge to fix anything. He was an outdoorsman, loved to ski, play hockey, swimming, fishing and camping. He golfed every Tuesday with his golfing group. With his great sense of humor and kind heart, he was always helping people and everywhere he went people were drawn to him. Osborne always had an open-door policy for everyone, young and old. He got along with everyone he met. Osborne was devoted to his family and passed on to them a great legacy of strength and kindness. His favorite holiday was Christmas and was known to put on the red suit and play Santa on many occasions. He will be sorely missed by his family, friends and colleagues.
Osborne is survived by his children, Jacqueline Hanson of Methuen; Richard J. Osborne III of Haverhill; grandchildren, Ryder and Keira Hanson of Methuen; longtime girlfriend, Jane Langlais of Haverhill; brother, Joseph Osborne and his wife Maureen of Haverhill; sisters, Kathleen Blomquist and her husband Carl of Hampton, N.H.; Maureen Lapierre and her husband George of Hampton, N.H.; Therese Osborne of Haverhill; several nieces and nephews; his former wife and mother of his children, Dawna Osborne; and his longtime good friends, Harold “Bud” Wood, Joe Turner, “BeBop Delux” (Bob Malynn), “The King” (Steve Cleary), Gusmundo T. Shanks (Gary Stack), Rich Tierney, Dennis Comeau and Steve Defeo.
Family and friends are respectfully invited to attend calling hours on Monday, Jan. 31 from 4-7 p.m. at Kevin B. Comeau Funeral Home, 486 Main St., Haverhill. Funeral services will begin on Tuesday morning at 9 at the funeral home with a Mass of Christian Burial to be celebrated at Sacred Heart Church, 165 S. Main St., Haverhill. Burial follows in Elmwood Cemetery, Salem Street, Haverhill. Donations may be made in his memory to Children’s Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA 02115 or to a Scholarship in his name, Whittier Tech Educational Foundation, 115 Amesbury Line Rd., Haverhill, MA 01830, Attention: Business Office.