Hicksville Newsletter Hall of Fame Inductees Dr. Edward A. Osborne, Class of 1956 & Mary (Fuller) Osborne, Class of 1957
Mary Fuller decided at the age of 11 that she would some day marry Ed Osborne. The friendship that started as children, grew to a love and marriage that took place September 23, 1961. Ed graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point in 1960 and Mary is a 1961 graduate of William and Mary. After a commission in the United States Air Force, Ed had a distinguished military career as a fighter pilot. Ed flew 213 combat missions in Vietnam and received 11 Air Medals, the Bronze Star Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross. On his 30th birthday, February 28, 1969, Ed flew his last mission in Vietnam.
Ed and Mary came to live in Colorado Springs where Ed taught at the Air Force Academy and received his PhD in Engineering Mechanics at the University of Denver. Mary received her CPA certificate in 1972 and became the first woman full-partner in Colorado Springs with the CPA firm Price, Moeller, Mayberry and Osborne. She was appointed to the the Colorado State Board of Accountancy in the 1970s and retired as senior partner in the firm of Osborne, Parsons and Rosacker in 2008. Ed joined AMI Industries in 1983, where he helped develop seats for the US Space Shuttle program. In 1987, Ed and two of his partners took over management of AMI, turning it into a highly successful company and selling it in 1997. Ed retired as president of AMI in 1998.
Ed and Mary have been and continue to be active in the Colorado Springs community. In addition to her involvement in UCCS, Mary's passion has been with Pikes Peak Hospice, where she has served on two boards for 19 years and continues to serve. Ed is past board chair of the Goodwill Industries of Colorado Springs Foundation and past board chair of Goodwill Industries International. He is a member of the CU Foundation Board of Trusteess and has been involved with the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and the Elm Paso Club. His favorite pastimes are skiing and golf.
Ed was integral in helping to develop the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program at UCCS and was active with CU Institute for Bioenergetics. In 2001, he received the University Medal from the University of Colorado for service to the university. Inn 2002, Ed and Mary received the Partners in Philanthropy Outstanding Individual Donor award. In 2007, Mary was presented with the UCCS "Alumni and Friends" Award. At UCCS, Ed and Mary Osborne have been passionate about TheatreWorks, the Family Development Center, CU aging Center, scholarships, and the College of Engineering and Applied Science at UCCS. On May 12, 2011 the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs, the Science and Engineering Buillding was renamed the Osborne Center. That same year, Mary was named "Unstoppable Woman of 2011" by the Karen Possehl Women's Center Endowment at UCCS.
Ed and Mary Osborne have demonstrated repeatedly their commitment through volunteerism and generous financial contributions.
