Charlene Osborne

Charlene Deloris Osborne

January 2, 1944 – February 6, 2024

Charlene Deloris Osborne passed away on February 6, 2024, in Mesa, Arizona. She was 80 years old.

In her final years, Alzheimer’s disease took a toll, but Charlene’s indomitable spirit never wavered.

Throughout her life, Charlene exhibited a feisty determination. Also profoundly supportive, she was always willing to go the extra mile. Whether she was leading the infant care at church, serving on the PTA, or supporting her family and community in a million different ways, Charlene offered a fierce loyalty and encouragement.

Charlene was born on January 2, 1944 to Charles Aaron and Mary Delores Slaughter in Ontario, Oregon. Her father was a minister. Her mother was a homemaker. They had ten children, and Charlene was their third child. She grew up in Idaho.

In 1962, Charlene graduated from Meridian High School, where she had been a cheerleader and two-time Idaho state champion in mixed-doubles tennis. That same year, she married her high school sweetheart, Robert Dean Osborne, with whom she shared a birthday. Later that year, the young couple received their first child.

Dedicated to each other and their family, Charlene and Robert were married for sixty-one years. They had five children, Brenda Bardino (Anthony), Ginger Stephens (Pete), Crystal Garcia, Rob Osborne (Sarah) and Matt Osborne (Niki).

Grandmothers are famous for showering their grandchildren with adoration, but if it were a competition for “most loving grandmother”, Charlene would win the prize. She had nine grandchildren, Robert Garcia, Devon Garcia, Elias Garcia, Ashlyn Lamon, Mason Osborne, Marli Osborne, Clayton Stephens, Ben Stephens, and Race Osborne. Amelia Garcia, her first great-grandchild arrived in 2023.

Holiday celebrations and family get-togethers were a great passion. Charlene celebrated every family birthday as if it was the most important day on the calendar. She enthusiastically decorated for Christmas. Her tree was always impeccably and tastefully adorned. Her generous gift-giving, epic dinners and delightful desserts—her favorite was walnut brownies with chocolate frosting—made every special occasion monumental.

Teaching and learning were hallmarks of Charlene’s life story. She encouraged each of her children to pursue higher education, which they all did. Once her youngest child was of school age, Charlene resumed her own education. In 1989, at the age of forty-five, Charlene graduated with honors from Arizona State University where she studied Elementary Education. That was followed by eight years of teaching at Emerson Elementary in Mesa, Arizona. During that time, she continued her studies and collected a Master of Education degree from Northern Arizona University in 1996.

Charlene cherished beauty and had a keen eye for color and texture. Her artistic vision found joyous expression in home decorating. She gravitated toward bold, vibrant hues and patterns. This passion for interior design also made its way into her entrepreneurial endeavors. In the mid-1970s in Boise, Idaho, Charlene launched a home décor store, The Treasure Chest. She ended the venture when the family moved to Mesa, Arizona in 1978, but that would not be her last foray.

Almost two decades later, she purchased Mesa Floral. The aesthetics of flower-arranging appealed to her. Soon after, with the encouragement of her husband, she opened a second store, Blooms and Beyond in Chandler, Arizona. There, she was able to expand her home décor offerings for an upscale clientele.

After several years of providing flower bouquets and home goods, Charlene sold the businesses so that she could direct all of her energy into her family and grandchildren. During this time, she reveled in rest and leisure.

Charlene was predeceased by her father, mother and siblings, Bruce Slaughter, Sharon Slaughter and Paula Kaiser. She is survived by sisters, Barbara Schultz, Dorothy Arnold and Carla Hackett, and brothers, Jim Slaughter, Chuck Slaughter, and John Slaughter.

If you listen closely, you may hear a ring-a-ding-ding. That is Charlene enthusiastically ringing her cowbell in heaven. Eternally supportive, she is shouting encouragement and rallying the team onward to victory!

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