Born in Boston, MA, he was educated at Little Beaver, Shady Hill School, Phillips Exeter Academy ('41), and Harvard College ('45) which he left before graduation to attend Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons as a Navy recruit in a war related program to accelerate the training of physicians. At Harvard he belonged to the DU Club, Signet, and was active in The Lampoon and Hasty Pudding. After medical school, where he was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha and earned his MD in '47 at the unusually young age of 23, Dr. Osborne interned at Bellevue Hospital in '47-'48, engaged in medical research for a year at Massachusetts General Hospital in '48-'49, and began a residency in Pediatrics at Boston Children's Hospital in '49. In '51, the Navy called him into service assigning him to Chelsea Naval Hospital, Bethesda Naval Hospital, and finally Naples, Italy where he served from '52 to '53. Following his honorable discharge from the Navy, he completed his Residency in Pediatrics at Boston Children's Hospital where he was served as Chief Resident in ‘53-'54 during the last polio epidemic. After a brief period in private practice, Dr. Osborne served as Director of Child Health for the Town of Brookline, MA from '55 to '60 during which he earned an MPH from the Harvard School of Public Health in '59. For the remainder of his professional life, he enjoyed a distinguished career in the field of college health, first at Stanford University where he joined the staff of the student health services in '60. As Director from '62 to '67 he oversaw a significant expansion of services and the construction of the state of the art Cowell Student Health Center. Returning to Boston his place of birth in '67, he served as a staff physician and assistant professor at the Tufts Medical and Dental Schools student health services until '72 when he returned to California to become the Director of Student Health Services at UCLA until his retirement in '81. A widely respected leader in his field, he was elected President of both the Pacific College Health Association and the American College Health Association.

In addition to his long and distinguished career as a physician and health administrator, Dr. Osborne was an unusually gifted man with multiple talents, hobbies, and interests. Highly literate with a keen appreciation of both the written and spoken word, he was especially proud of the two children's books he published, Rudy and the Mayor of Naples ('58) based on his experience as a Navy doctor in Italy and Ondine ('60) which won a New York Herald Tribune Honor Book award for children's fiction. A published poet, and an accomplished artist and cartoonist who delighted friends and family with his sketches, drawings, and paintings, he was also a talented self taught musician who played everything from Bach to Fats Waller by ear. Combining these talents, he wrote the music and lyrics for several amateur stage productions. When younger, he enjoyed tennis and skiing and was an able carpenter and builder. During retirement, he traveled widely, followed baseball passionately, enjoyed gardening, and took long walks in the Los Altos Hills where he befriended and spoiled numerous dogs. He was a lifelong member of the Tavern Club of Boston and the Stanford Faculty Club. He died peacefully at home in Los Altos Hills from lung cancer.