Brevard County’s self-proclaimed “Rocket Hobo” passes away at 72

Ozzie Osband, 72, died unexpectedly in his sleep at his home

Ozzie Osband (Copyright 2023 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Ozzie Osband, longtime volunteer and rocket-connoisseur, passed away Sunday morning, according a social media post by the American Space Museum and Space Walk of Fame.

The 72-year-old died unexpectedly in his sleep at his home in Titusville, museum officials said.

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Osband was a volunteer at the museum for about 20 years and would organize talks and ham radio events in the early days of the U.S. Space Walk of Fame Foundation – the museum’s non-profit institution.

He was most notable for rarely missing a rocket launch at Space View Park in Downtown Titusville and provided commentary about missions.

He made another accomplishing feat by being the person responsible for the “3-2-1″ telephone area code for the Space Coast that went into effect on Nov. 1, 1999.

Arrangements are pending. A tribute to Ozzie on Facebook will occur on ASM’s Facebook on their podcast “Stay Curious”, at a later date.

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