Rest in Peace, Mrs. Osborne

Marion Osborne was my second-grade teacher at Torrance Elementary.

I was looking over my graduation yearbooks with a family member last year, and we started thinking about the different teachers we had.

I remembered Mrs. Osborne, because she was my first teacher when I enrolled at TorrEl (I had attended Myler Street School in Carson, CA for pre-K, kindergarten, and first grade).

We found out a few days before Christmas last year that Mrs. Osborne had passed away in July that same year.

Here's her obituary in the local paper:

Marian K. (Smith) Osborne passed away in Roseburg, Oregon, on July 7th, 2025, with her family at her side, at age 86. Marian was born in Glendale, California, to Robert and Irene Smith. She spent most of her life in Torrance, California. She attended Torrance Elementary School and graduated from Torrance High School in 1956. Marian went to Azusa Pacific Bible College (and later, Pepperdine) to become a teacher. She taught briefly at Arlington Elementary in 1963, but soon transferred to Torrance Elementary, where she taught K-2 from 1964 until her retirement in 1996. While Marian loved teaching, she loved the Lord even more. She served as an active member of her church for decades, as a pianist, choir member, in children's ministries, and serving veterans and seniors in the community. She also loved being a mom, a grandma, and a great-grandma. She enjoyed watching birds and butterflies, as well as a good snuggle from her cats. She will be remembered for her creativity and her unique sense of humor, as well as her ability to turn any thought into a song. She is survived by her daughter Sharon, granddaughter Danielle, and great-granddaughter Alice, of Myrtle Creek, Oregon; daughter Leslie (Richard) of Helena, Montana; grandson Randy (Marchae), and great-grandchildren Nevaeh, Bella, and Ezekial of Richland, Washington; son-in-love Morgan Griffin, and many beloved friends and former students. A Celebration of Life will be held at Baycities Community Church Lomita, 2043 Lomita Blvd, Lomita, CA, on Saturday, 10/18/25 at 3:00 pm. Please join us as we celebrate Marian and her legacy.

Published in: Daily Breeze from September 28, 2025

I remember her when she attended Community Bible Church in Lomita (today, it's Baycities Community Church):

When I graduated from high school in 1999, I went back to the church to visit with her. She remembered me from the church kids' club, not just as her students in the second-grade class.

She was a good teacher. She taught us to dance and sing, not just to read and write. She would dress up as a big apple for Halloween every year. I still remember all of that!

And to this day, I have the Christmas ornament I made in her class. That's nearly forty years ago!

There truly is significance to the passage of time. I cannot believe how many people from my childhood have passed away, but their impact on my life remains to this day.

Rest in Peace, Mrs. Osborne!