Former judge and Man of the Year with a heart for service has died
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- Stephen Osborne balanced careers in law, military and volunteer service roles.
- He served 37 years in the Army Reserves and retired as a JAG lieutenant colonel.
- Osborne led local civic groups, coached youth sports and served as a district judge.
A Tri-Cities man remembered for wearing several hats and was never afraid to do the hard work for the betterment of his community has died.
Stephen Osborne — a retired judge, attorney, veteran, volunteer, community man and father — died Wednesday at Ciel Senior Living of Tri-Cities in Kennewick. He was 78.
He died after a long battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, said his son Andrew Osborne, 49, of Pasco. He said their family is heartbroken by the loss.
The 2017 Kennewick Man of the Year “loved to do things for people,” said Andrew Osborne. His father had a lengthy resume that included 37 years in the Army Reserves, more than four decades as an attorney and countless hours serving with Tri-City organizations.
And he was never one to “toot his own horn.” Instead, he was quick to praise the efforts of others, said his son.
As a Benton County District Court judge for 5 1/2 years, Osborne always ensured people had their day in court — even if the stakes were low.
“He would listen to you. I watched him from the bench doing small claims court. This was over stuff like $200, and he would listen very intently,” Andrew Osborne said. “He was very patient and compassionate with everyone who came before him on the bench... He was humble.”
Third-generation Kennewick resident
A lifelong Tri-Citian, born a third-generation “Kennewickian,” Osborne attended Central Washington University and Gonzaga University School of Law. His father, Joe Osborne, was a well-known real estate agent and also was recognized as Kennewick Man of the Year in 1972.
Osborne enlisted in the Army Reserves in September 1969. He served two tours of active duty, deploying to Saudi Arabia in 1991 during Operation Desert Storm, and to Joint Base Lewis-McChord around 2003, where he performed legal services for soldiers deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan.
He concluded his military career in 2005 with nine years enlisted and as a lieutenant colonel in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps.
Osborne also was a founding member of Rettig, Osborne, Forgette Law Office in March 1977. His practice focused on defense, employment law, wrongful termination, personal injury and criminal cases.
He was president of the local bar in the 1990s, and later served on the Washington State Bar Association Board of Governors. In 2011, he was inducted into the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel, an honor limited to about 1,000 members.
The Tri-Citian went into a reduced work schedule in early 2015 as he was thinking about retirement, but was appointed to a judgeship in Benton County District Court in December. Judge Bob Ingvalson had retired from his seat mid term, creating the vacancy.
“He was definitely the right guy for that job,” said Andrew Osborne.
He retired from the bench in June 2021.
Andrew Osborne said his father was always busy in the community. Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo attendees could always find him taking tickets for the Kiwanis Club.
He coached youth basketball, was a Kennewick High School booster and Lions football fan, and followed Gonzaga basketball each season.
Osborne also served on several boards: Columbia Industries, the Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation, the Tri-Cities Visitor and Convention Bureau, Kennewick Kiwanis and the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce, among others.
He was also a longtime Water Follies volunteer and eight-year board member. He served as its president 1986-87.
In their letter nominating Osborne as Man of the Year, Bill Lampson and Fran Forgette wrote that Osborne led the Follies fearlessly through “some of its most tumultuous years” and that being a board member was a “high-visibility, low-thanks, maximum-headache” volunteer job.
He was among “the first to roll up his sleeves and jump into the work at hand.”
“It is written that ‘many are called, but few are chosen.’ The nominators would add that fewer still step up as eagerly and with the level of commitment to the call to service from their country and their community as Steve Osborne,” the men wrote.
He is survived by his wife of more than 50 years, Karen Osborne, 77, their two children, Andrew Osborne and Kara Beauchamp; as well as four grandchildren.
A celebration of life will take place 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, at Zintel Creek Golf Club in Kennewick. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Tri-Cities Cancer Center.
This story was originally published August 29, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
