In Memory of Ray Martin Ostrom
Ray was born in Ballard January 20, 1930 to Anna & Edwin Ostrom.
He attended Adams Elementary, James Monroe Jr. High & Ballard High School, graduating in 1948. From age 12 thru Jr. Hi. He had hefty paper routes, & then in high school he worked for I. Lachmann Wholesale Jewelers until he was drafted into the US Army in 1951. Ray was stationed at Ft. Bragg N. Carolina, where he made a group of life-long friends.
In 1953 Ray married Kathryn MacWilliam, a Very good idea which was to last 62 years!
He also started the UW that year in History & Education, graduating in 1957. He started teaching at Sharples Jr. Hi., moved to Jane Addams for 14 years, taking 1 year out to obtain his Masters from the University of Colorado. He then was Vice Principal at Jane Addams, 10 years at Whitman & 2 years at McClure, which ‘Done him in’ and he retired. Throughout his career he led his classes & conducted his administration with the rules to always be Firm, Fair, Friendly, Flexible & Forgiving. Come to think of it, those were the same principles he used with our family as well.
In retirement he spent much time the first 8 years with a friend who had Parkinson’s, delightful times fishing with our next-door neighbor of 50 years, working in the yard, and doing what he most of all loved – being with our family !! We spent one week each year at Ocean Shores, financed, as he loved to tell the kids & Grands, by the US Savings Bonds he had taken out of his paychecks each month over the years – a Very broad hint to save on a regular basis & enjoy a little ‘Delayed Gratification’!
We were blessed with 4 children: Paul, who we lost to MS in 2005, but he gave us Nicholas, Matthew & 3 Great Grands; Dorothy, who brought us Gordon, and they gave us Karla, Mike, Jacob & 8 Great Grands; Russ, who brought us Elizabeth, and they gave us Anna, Emma, Jenna & 1 Great Grand; Gus, who brought us Lori, and they gave us Benjamin, Emily, Kathryn & 2 Great Grands. Ray loved them all, was concerned for them, and loved them some more.
The last 6 weeks of his life he lived in Dorothy & Gordon’s home, where he could be wheeled out onto the deck to enjoy tranquil Cottage Lake & was perfectly cared for by family & the incredible services of Group Health & their Hospice group, with family coming in daily. Those were treasured days for all of us, as we each had our special moments with him, and in the wonderful ways he had of telling each of us how dear we were to him. How many times did he say, “It’s been a Great Ride”? But he was tired & ready to move on, secure in his salvation thru Jesus Christ. He often said about Heaven, “I don’t want to play a harp, but what I really want to do is be able to look back on history & understand why things happened as they did & what God’s plan has been for it all.” I’m sure he will be Amazed !!
Memorials may be made to Seattle First Pres Church for art project or to Women’s Enterprises for water tank project in Kenya Africa . Both are the same address:
1013 8th Ave.
Seattle WA 98104
