HIGH POINT — Cleo Greeson Osborne, of Pennybyrn at Maryfield of Highpoint, NC died peacefully on November 1, 2010.
The memorial service and interment will be held at Springwood Presbyterian Church and 1422 Springwood Church Road in Whitsett, NC on Thursday, November 4, at 2 p.m. The family will receive friends at the fellowship hall following the service.
Mrs. Osborne was born on August 28, 1917 in Whitsett, NC to Floyd Blair Greeson and Lucy Henry Greeson. She moved to Greensboro in 1923, where she lived most of her life. Cleo is best remembered for her quick wit, her ability to tell a great story, and her love for her friends and family. She was a warm, funny and generous person, who treasured her old friends as well as new ones, made over the years. All who knew her were never in doubt as to how she felt about any subject. Her friends will remember that she loved watching Braves baseball and Carolina basketball and adored young children and babies.
After graduating from Bessemer High School in 1932, Cleo graduated from St. Leo Hospital nursing school in 1935. She had many stories to tell about her experiences at St. Leo's and expressed often how much she loved and respected the sisters, who were her teachers. Later, after attending Richmond Professional Institute, Cleo became the first public health nurse in the Ashe County Health Department in Jefferson, NC. She treasured her time there and had many fascinating experiences working with the remote mountain people of North Carolina, some of whom had never seen a nurse or doctor.
In 1943, Cleo moved to Greensboro and became a nurse for the Guilford County Health Department, where she worked for 40 years. She will be remembered by many for her love of nursing and her devotion to her job.
Cleo was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Robert Ivey Osborne (1987), in addition to all of her siblings; Floyd B. Greeson, Jr. and his wife Inez Greeson, Carl M. Greeson, Lucy Greeson Nathan and her husband George Nathan, and Nancy Greeson Josephs and her husband Alex R. Josephs. Cleo is survived by her step son, Robert W. Osborne of Hurricane Utah and his wife, Nancy, his son Garrett Osborne, and his daughter Elizabeth Byko, her husband and her children Matt and Trevor. Cleo is also survived by her and nieces and nephews and their families; Susan Greeson Cole, Carl M. Greeson, Jr., Blair Josephs Rohrer, Rusty Josephs Gray, Anne Josephs Garrett, Floyd Nathan, Linda Nathan Viqueira and Joe Nathan. Cleo will also be missed by her only remaining sister-in-law, June L. Greeson.
The family wishes to thank the staff of the Pennybyrn at Maryfield for their recent care and the staff of the Stratford in High Point. Cleo loved living at The Stratford and missed her friends deeply when she moved away. A special thanks to Pat DeWispelaere, Cleo's helper and friend who went way beyond the call of duty for several years and during this illness; to Lena Crews, a longtime employee and friend; and to Cleo's dear old friends who continued to be in her life and visit often.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Andrews Episcopal Church, 2105 W. Market Street, Greensboro, NC 27403 or Springwood Presbyterian Church, PO Box 5, Whitsett, NC 27377. 481, Obituary of Cleo Greeson Osborne