George Kenneth Osgood III, age 54, formerly of Marblehead, passed away peacefully on March 22, at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, surrounded by his loving family after a courageous second battle with cancer. Born in Williamsburg, Virginia on March 11, 1969, he was the son of George K. Osgood Jr. and Georgina T. Smith.
Ken was a graduate of Marblehead High School, Class of 1987, and Northeastern University, Class of 1992, where he majored in civil engineering and graduated cum laude.
After graduation, he accepted a position with Peter Kiewit and Sons and had an illustrious career for the next 30 years. Some of his notable projects included work on the Queensboro Bridge in New York, Third Harbor Tunnel in Boston, the New L in Chicago, and finally for Kiewit Offshore Services Ltd. in Ingleside, Texas. There he rose to the position of area manager responsible for on-shore modules and renewable energy markets, client relations and project execution. He enjoyed his career immensely, relishing the challenges, responsibilities, world travel and management.
While his initial cancer in 1992 left him an amputee, he believed in living life to the fullest and was active in several clubs and associations. He was a motivational speaker and very active in the San Antonio Amputee Foundation. He loved to ski and helped other amputees learn how to accommodate their disabilities. He trained and hiked with fellow amputees, including a summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro.
In his youth, Ken enjoyed motorcycles and continued riding throughout his life. He obtained his pilot’s license and belonged to Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association with dreams of owning his own plane and home with a hangar.
He had a passion for speed and belonged to the San Antonio Ferrari Club where he drove his own car and participated on Ferrari Day for many years at the Circuit of Americas Track. He also loved volunteering on Ferrari Kid Days for children with disabilities.
He leaves his wife of 26 years, Barbara Schnitger Osgood, a fellow engineer and mother of their two children, Marlena and Colleen, all of whom he loved and adored. Ken especially enjoyed family weekends, visiting their San Antonio apartment, his Texas family and friends, and many family vacation trips.
In addition to his parents, he also leaves his sister, Vanessa Kersker (husband Mike, son Michael); two brothers, Nicholas (wife Caralee, children Ava, Anna and David); Patrick (wife Jodi, sons Patrick and Harrison), stepsisters Michelle Franciose (husband Paul Schimmel, sons John and Alex) and Stephanie Hadden (husband Bruce, daughters Jacqueline and Caroline); stepbrother Mark Smith (wife Tammy, children Kaitlyn and Marcus); stepmother Marie Osgood, stepfather James Smith, sister-in-law Monica Schnitger (husband Shawn Burke), and many friends and associates.
Ken inspired us all with his positivity, optimism, perseverance and determination. He will be dearly missed. Celebrations of life were held in Corpus Christi and Marblehead.
