William Marley Osborne

William Marley Osborne (“Willy the Pirate”), passed away on November 20, 2017, at his home in Costa Mesa, CA. He was 21 years old.

A musical celebration of his life, “Willyfest,” will be held on Sunday, December 10th from 12:00pm until 4:00pm at the Costa Mesa Alano Club, 2040 Placentia Avenue, Costa Mesa, CA 92627.

William was born October 14, 1996, in Denver, Colorado. He moved to Costa Mesa in 2015 to seek treatment for drug and alcohol addiction. He was clean and sober when he died, having accumulated 2 years and 3 months of sobriety.

William was the consummate adventurer. He summitted more than 40 of Colorado’s 55 peaks over 14,000’ high, completed a 100-mile backpack trip in the mountains of New Mexico and a 100-mile canoe trip in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota. He did not miss an opportunity to be out in nature, and locally he loved Crystal Cove State Park and Newport’s Back Bay area.

He was also very creative. He was a gifted songwriter, drummer, guitarist, and singer. He was known for saying, “Give me a topic,” and then making up a song on the spot for whatever topic was given. He was very active in Costa Mesa’s recovery community, including leading a Friday night music meeting called The Creative Share.

William was also known for his hilariously irreverent sense of humor. He had a ready smile, a mischievous sparkle in his eye and always a one-liner on the tip of his tongue.

William had a generous heart all his life and was passionate about making a positive difference for others. He was successful in that effort through his leadership of AA meetings, his work as a Clinical Technician at Akua Mind & Body, and his daily kindnesses to others. He was an Eagle Scout, and completed his Eagle project for an inner-city school that had very little resources. He was tuned into people who had less than he had, and even when he had almost nothing himself, he routinely gave his belongings to people whose need he felt was greater than his own.

William is survived by his twin brother, Jackson Osborne; his mother, Lauri Osborne; his father, Dave Osborne; and stepmother Deb Osborne; and an extensive community of family and friends.

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to The Phoenix, a sober active community in Costa Mesa that provides free programs to anyone with 48 hours clean and sober. Donate here: www.thephoenix.org/donate. Please specify Orange County Chapter. William had a personal connection to The Phoenix, and your donation will help further his passion for helping others.