Audrey "Umpy" E. Osborn's Obituary
Audrey “Umpy” E. Osborn passed away peacefully on March 12, 2024, in Collierville, TN following a brief illness.
He will be fondly remembered by his wife of 64 years, Peggy (Canterbury), his brother-in-law William, his two sons, David (Lisa) and Smith, his five grandchildren: Nicholas, Grayson, Samantha, Matthew, and Michael (Addie), his five great-grandchildren, his nieces Lisa (Mitch), Leslie (Jon), and Ashton, his nephew Jacob, and his many friends in the Scouting family and the hardwood lumber industry.
Umpy was born July 18, 1938, in Memphis, TN, and graduated from Whitehaven HS (1957), and the University of Memphis (1962) with a degree in World Geography. He became an Eagle Scout in 1955 as a member of Troop “Ole” 97 where his Scoutmaster, Buddy Irwin, instilled in him a love for the outdoors, but especially for trees. After graduating college, Umpy attended and graduated from the National Hardwood Lumber Association Inspector Training School and subsequently began his lifelong career buying and selling hardwood lumber all over the US and the world, visiting 48 countries during his career.
Umpy’s other passion was Scouting, and in the early 2000’s, he and Peggy co-founded the Ole 97 Alumni Association, composed of Troop 97 alumni from the 1950’s onward, and is the sponsoring organization that provides funding and resources for the troop today.
Umpy’s faith in God, his love for his family, and his unwavering friendship with those who knew him, was evident in how he lived his life personally and professionally. The family is asking, in lieu of flowers, for donations to be made to the Ole 97 Alumni Association (ole97alumni.org).
The family will receive relatives and friends on Thursday, March 21 at 10:00 a.m. with a funeral service at 11:00 all in the Fireside Chapel of Memorial Park Funeral Home. Interment Memorial Park Cemetery.
Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery, 5668 Poplar Ave, Memphis, TN, 38119. (901) 767-8930
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