Morris Osburn

Dr. Morris "Coach" Osburn of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Jan. 12, 2007, at Ratliff Care Center. He was 79.

He was born May 13, 1927, in Shelbina, Mo., to O.R. and Helen Wedel Osburn. On June 1, 1953, he married Marlene Gilbert in Carl Junction, Mo.

Osburn graduated from Mexico, Mo., High School in 1945. He then enlisted in the United States Navy where he served 1 1/2 years.

He received a bachelor of science degree in education from Northeast Missouri State University in 1949. He then completed his master's degree at the University of Alabama in 1953. His doctorate was from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1962.

He started his coaching career at Herculaneum, Mo., in 1949 as basketball coach. He became athletic director and started the basketball program at Nichols State College in Thibodaux, La., in 1957. He was also assistant basketball coach at Southern Mississippi and Syracuse universities.

He then left coaching and became a professor at the University of New Orleans. He became director of the Human Relations and Desegregation Center at the University of Western Kentucky. He joined the U.S. Department of Education in 1970 in Chicago. He was director of financial aid covering eight states until retiring in 1979.

In college at Northeast Missouri State University, he played football, basketball and ran track. He was chairman of the American Red Cross and member of the Cape Girardeau Country Club and Centenary United Methodist Church.

Survivors include his wife; a son, Kaine Osburn of Wilmette, Ill.; two daughters, Kyle Osburn of St. Louis, Shaun Zigler of Adelanto, Calif.; three grandchildren, Zach and Jamie Zigler of Adelanto, and John Morris Osburn of Wilmette.

He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Robert and Leslie Osburn.

Visitation will be held at the family home from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Friday.

The funeral will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home with the Rev. Al Mitchener officiating. Burial will be at a later date.

The family requests memorial contributions be made to the Southeast Missouri Chapter of the American Red Cross.