Wallace "Jim" Osborne

Wallace James (Jim) Osborne
June 9, 1944 – August 27, 2026

Born June 9,1944 to Lois and Wallace Osborne, he grew up in Kenora and had 2 younger sisters, Dawn Marie and Susan.

Jim worked as a surveyor for the DHO (Department of Highways) on Hwy 105, staying in camps on Cedar Lake. He then moved to Vermilion Bay where him and the crew stayed at the Bayview Hotel. During this time, he met Marilyn Marion who worked at the Bar’s Restaurant where they had coffee daily. Before long, he had picked up the waitress, and they eventually got married on Oct 19, 1968.

He joined the O.P.P. that same year, was posted to Longlac; transferred to Manitouwadge in 1975, then to Dryden in 1980 until retirement at the end of 1998. While with the O.P.P he was a member of the Search and Resue and Marine crews.

Jim joined the Barclay Fire Department and committed 32 years, then worked with a friend Larry Lyle for a few years. He moved on to driving a fuel truck for the M.N.R. and finally doing some contract work again for the OPP until 2024.

Along the way he always found great people to hunt and fish with, and to this day we have the Westover family, and the Rustan family that we've often said, our lives would have been so different without them. There are many life-long friends that we are very fortunate to have met.

He leaves to miss him, his wife of 58 years Marilyn, his daughters Wendy (Grant) Allen, Penny (Mike) Mondry. grandchildren Aidan, Abby, Rosie and Violet Wilson who he was immensely proud of, and his sister Dawn Marie and nephews, Jeremy, Jason and Jordan Ostapyk.

Jim had an interesting, fulfilling life. He loved to fish, hunt, go camping with the grandchildren, 50's and 60's music and enjoyed sitting having a beer with friends.

He was a great man, and we were all lucky to have had him in our lives.

If anyone would like to share photos with the family, you can text them to Penny Osborne 1-204-915-6092.

A Celebration of Life will take place on Thursday, September 10, 2026, at 11am at the Royal Canadian Legion Dryden Branch 63 with Mardi Plomp officiating. Interment will follow in the Dryden Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to the Dryden Go-Getters, 84 St Charles St., Dryden, ON P8N 1L3 or the O.P.P. Youth Foundation, 777 Memorial Avenue, Orillia, ON L3V 7V3 or through Aurora Funeral Services.