Mary Bland Osborne

Mary Bland Osborne (Blandie) died peacefully on July 23, 2013. She was born April 8, 1928 in New York City, the daughter of Sarah Ford Dew and Henry Worsham Dew. She moved to Jacksonville in 1929 at age one and called it home for the remainder of her life, living on Pine Street in Avondale for her childhood, on Ortega Blvd. in Ortega for her adult life, and on Beach Ave. in Atlantic Beach for her retirement.

She graduated from the Bartram School for Girls in 1946. She then attended Bradford Junior College before receiving a BA in English and a letter in Varsity Basketball from Rollins College. She married Jacksonville resident and attorney Henry Plant Osborne, Jr. on February 6th, 1954, and enjoyed 40 years of happiness with him.

She was an active member of many local organizations, including the Jacksonville Junior League; the Garden Club; the local chapter of the Colonial Dames, where she served for many years as a docent at the Fatio House; the Florida Yacht Club; Timuquana Country Club; St Mark’s Episcopal Church, and Christ Episcopal Church.

She is predeceased by her brother Henry Dew and a sister, Virginia Coulter Dew. She is survived by two sisters, Sarah Dew Warmath (Jack) and Elizabeth Dew Seroka, her five children, Henry Plant Osborne (Rena), John Cooper Osborne, Nancy Montgomery Dent (Greg), Sarah Blythe Bernstein (Mitchell), and William Bland Osborne, her five grandchildren, and her many nieces and nephews.

Blandie had too many loves in life to list fully and faithfully. She loved a good party and flute of cold champagne. She loved romantic movies and their leading men, from Van Johnson and Cary Grant to Harrison Ford. She loved to dance and thus loved music, from Frank Sinatra to Jimmy Buffet. She loved her annual family trip to Manhattan, for theater, art and food. She loved her Mother, whom she spoke to or saw every day of her life. She loved children, any children, but especially her own and their children. She loved her dogs, walking them the length of Atlantic Beach every morning at sunrise. She loved for the people around her to be happy, and she would give you whatever she had to make you so.

Services will be held graveside at Evergreen Cemetery on Saturday, July 27, 2013 at 11:00 am. Family and friends are then invited to celebrate Blandie’s life after the service at 1632 Beach Avenue in Atlantic Beach. Family would like to thank and recognize the employees of Fleet Landing for the wonderful care they provided Blandie at the end of her life. In lieu of flowers, please consider the Resident Gift Fund at Fleet Landing or give to the person, organization or charity of your choice.