Travis McElreath Osborne

Mac was born in Arkansas to John and Sally Osborne, the 2nd of their 4 children. The family moved to Athens, Tennessee when Mac was four years old. Mac met the love of his life, Rebecca (Becky) in high school and they have been together over 60 years. They attended the University of Tennessee together and upon graduation, married in 1971. They moved to LaFollette, Tennessee and started a successful fencing company. In 1977, their daughter, Sara (Sally) was born and their family was complete.

In September of 1983, Mac was asked to visit the family business to evaluate its future; would the store stay with the family or would it be sold? Within 24 hours, Mac decided to take over the store. He became the President and the eventual owner of The S.F. Travis Company, better known as Travis Hardware. Travis Hardware was Mac’s favorite place in the world. He knew every square inch of the store and where every single item lived. His booming voice greeted customers and friends the moment you walked through the door. You could always find him behind the counter, directing customers and salespeople and holding court. He became known as “The Emperor of Cocoa”.

Mac was an active civic leader in the 80’s-2010’s. Mac was an original member of the Board of Directors for The Historic Cocoa Village Playhouse. He served as President of the Historic Cocoa Village Association and was on the board of The ARC, what is now known as Bridges. Mac was instrumental in the building of the Brevard Zoo, donating all of the nuts, bolts and fasteners for the original build of the Paws On Playground and the Zoo itself. He was a Past President and Paul Harris Fellow of the Cocoa Rotary Club and a founding member of The Rockledge Rotary Club. He chaired the Cape Canaveral Chowder Cook-Off and Kentucky Derby Fundraisers for the Rotary Clubs. He sponsored the Challengers baseball teams – a team for children of all ages with disabilities. If people were having hard times, he would quietly pay their bills until they could get back on their feet. Mac was an Eagle Scout. He loved nothing more than when an Eagle Scout candidate would present their project to him and ask for assistance. He donated all hardware materials to numerous Eagle Scouts through the years. He presented many of them their first pocket knife upon their project completion.

Mac loved music and he loved to sing. Not a day went by that there wasn’t a song heard coming from Mac. He had a beautiful tenor that soared above every instrument and made your heart swell with joy and pride. He gave regular concerts behind the counter at Travis, and most of the time, he invented new lyrics that, in his opinion, were better than the original. Mac sang for countless weddings and funerals and at almost every church in central Brevard County at one point or another. He loved Gospel music and singing in choirs. He even performed onstage at the Cocoa Village Playhouse in various shows and events. His voice would shake the rafters and his favorite duet partner was his daughter, Sally.

On weekends, you would find him in his “Man Cave” where he spent time unwinding with his orchids. Mac could coax almost any plant to grow but his favorites were his orchids. Mac had hundreds of orchids and he knew the names of every single one. People would bring him their orchids that were almost dead and he would bring them back to life, and give them a few extra to enjoy as well. The best conversations would be held in the man cave. With his flowers, Mac found his peace.

Mac lived for his family. Becky was the love of his life and his whole world. Sally brought him joy and pride and when she met and married Aaron, she gave him a son that he loved with his whole heart. Sally and Aaron gave Mac the best gift and his greatest joy- Travis, William and Teresa. The triplets lit up his whole world. He loved seeing them grow and learn and love. Every single customer that came into Travis knew about the Triplets. He was the most proud of Grandfathers. He celebrated all of their achievements in school, on the field and on all the stages and shows. He tried to never miss a concert, game, art show or performance. And those three loved their Pappy. They spent time swimming, laughing, playing games, singing, fishing and hearing all the stories from their Pappy. During the last year, the triplets and Aaron were instrumental in seeing to their Pappy’s comfort and well-being. They cared and loved him so well.

Mac always had an opinion and he was never hesitant to share that opinion, even when it was unpopular. He was outspoken and he believed in justice and fairness above all things. He was a man that stood firm in his convictions and he had a wealth of wisdom and experience behind him. He was not always liked, but that never hindered him in his ability to love. Mac Osborne had a heart bigger than he was and it was full of love and service to others. He believed in the Rotarian creed of “service above self”. He believed that nothing was more important than family and that family was not always created by blood, but by love. He loved his Travis family. The employees of Travis Hardware have always been part of the Travis family and our gratitude for all of them knows no bounds. The love and care they have shown for Mac and the family is unmatched. Mac ended every conversation the same way….”I love you!”

Mac is survived by his best friend and wife, Rebecca (Becky), his daughter Sara (Sally) and his son Aaron and his grandchildren Travis, William and Teresa. He is also survived by his sisters Anne O. Kilpatrick, Mary Nelle Osborne, his brother Merrill J. Osborne Jr, and several nephews and nieces whom he loved.

A Joyful Celebration of Mac will be held on July 25, 2026 at 1pm at The Historic Cocoa Village Playhouse. Mac would not want sadness so wear bright colors and have your memories and your laughs ready. In Lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be made to the Stars of Tomorrow program at The Cocoa Village Playhouse or to an organization of your choosing.