Framingham - Joel S. Osborne, 60, of Framingham, passed away peacefully on December 7, 2018 at St. Patrick’s Manor, surrounded by his loving family and close friends. Joel was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's Disease at the young age of 50, and bravely battled this devastating disease until his passing. A resident of Framingham for 14 years, he grew up, and lived for many years in Medway. He was the son of the late Allan G. and Ruth L. (Boulter) Osborne. He was the beloved husband of Patricia (Costello) Osborne, and loving father of two daughters Jessica (Osborne) Files and her husband Ronald of Milford, and Adrienne (Osborne) Ross, and her husband Andrew of Medway. Joel was the proud grandfather to Kaylee Files and Jack Files. He also leaves his brother Allan and his wife Deborah of Holliston, sister Lisa Auger and her husband Andre of East Douglas, and brother Harold and his wife Deborah of Medway, and several nieces and nephews and many friends. Joel was a 1976 graduate of Medway High School where he participated on the track and cross-country teams. He attended Dean College in Franklin and earned a B.S. in Business Administration from Boston University in 1988. Joel had most recently worked at Sun Life Financial for 11 years, retiring in 2008. Prior to that he had been employed for many years as a sales representative in the food and beverage industry.
Joel loved coaching sports, he spent several years as an assistant coach on the Medway High School football and track teams. Beer Brewing was a huge thrill for Joel; he was a talented home brewer and enjoyed sharing his beer with his friends and family. He received many recognitions for his successful brew creations and loved to tour breweries and visit brew pubs. Joel’s father introduced him to the card game, pitch. He became a proficient player and was a regular at the Medway VFW card games every week for over 30 years. Joel was known for his smile, quick laugh, sense of humor, and being a loyal friend. In addition to the love of his family, some of his many passions and interests were: music (especially The Who), concerts, the Boston Red Sox, the New England Patriots, photography, woodworking, nature, Monte Carlos, and relaxing in his pool. He loved animals, particularly dogs, and would stop whatever he was doing to pat a pooch. He especially enjoyed his ice cream and would travel far for a good dish of ice cream.
Joel daughters, Jess and Adrienne have fond memories of their dad, like the mystery trips he took them on every Columbus Day Weekend; rewriting the song lyrics to his favorite songs to make the girls laugh; and frequent trips to Kimball’s Farm for ice cream. They both feel so fortunate that he was there to witness their marriages and so many other important milestones in their lives.
Joel’s siblings remember his easy-going manner and positive outlook on life. He was always smiling and quick to laugh at a joke (especially his own). He was an inspiration to them in the way he accepted his diagnosis and fought his disease. He taught us all how to live.
Joel’s family thanks the staff and care givers at the Newton Wellesley Center for Alzheimer’s and St. Patrick’s Manor for the loving care given to him over the past four and a half years.
To remember and celebrate Joel's life, family and friends will be invited to a celebration of life gathering at Thayer Homestead 2B Oak St, Medway on a date to be determined, and to a birch tree planting in the spring of 2019 at the grounds of Thayer Homestead.
Donations to honor Joel may be made to: Cure Alzheimer's Fund, 34 Washington Street, #300, Wellesley Hills, MA 02481
Online: https://curealz.org/outreach/in-memory/joel-osborne/
The Callahan Center, Continuing Connections Program, 535 Union Ave, Framingham, MA 01702
The Osborne Scholarship Foundation
39 Jackson Dr,
Holliston, MA 01746
or any other charities that would be meaningful to Joel’s memory.