Dr. Ronald Stephen Ostrowski
November 22, 2017
Sherrills
Ford, North Carolina - Dr. Ronald Stephen Ostrowski, 78, of Sherrills Ford, NC,
passed away on Thursday, November 16, 2017.
He
was born on March 3, 1939 in Chicago, IL, to the late Stephen and Julia
Salinski Ostrowski. Ron grew up in Chicago’s South Side and graduated from De
La Salle High School. He was a proud veteran of the U.S. Navy. After service to
his country, he received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Northern Illinois
University and his Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame.
He worked as a Professor of Biology
specializing in Genetics at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte for
34 years, retiring in 2005. During that time, he mentored many students in
biology and pre-med.
He also had many other
professional activities that included serving on the Planned Parenthood Board
of Directors, consulting for the Association for Sickle Cell Disease, and
collaborating with the Clinical Genetics Program at Carolinas Medical Center.
Since 1992 he enjoyed working as a DNA consultant and expert witness in the
court system.
Ron
enjoyed gardening, remodeling and home projects, ballroom dancing, classic old
movies and fifties music (especially Doo Wop) – he would sing along to every
song. He was a wonderful teller of stories – and oh the stories he told! (He
had many adventures in his life!) He had a strong love and loyalty to his
family and his many, many dear friends. He will be greatly missed.
In
addition to his parents, Ron was preceded in death by his first wife, Carol
Dressel Ostrowski. He is survived by his loving wife, Linda McNally; daughter,
Beth Ostrowski Kooby; grandchildren, Dylan and Sienna Kooby; mother-in-law,
Nellie McNally; brother-in-law, Steven McNally (Karen); sister-in-law, Cheryl
Woodburn (Mark); cousins, William “Bill” Ostrowski (Kathy) and Diane Wilson
(Larry); and extended family and friends.
The
family would like to thank Dr. Timothy Kuo and the staff at Lake Norman
Oncology in NC, as well as his physicians and staff at Emory Winship Cancer
Institute in Atlanta, GA, for their care and compassion throughout Ron’s
illness.
We have special gratitude to
the many dear friends who have been on this journey with us and helped us along
the way.
A
chapel service will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, November 25, 2017 at the
Rago-Baldwin Funeral Home, 520 East St., in Baraboo, WI with Pastor Thomas
Dunbar officiating. Visitation will take place at the funeral home from 10:00
AM until the time of service. Burial in Walnut Hill Cemetery will follow the
chapel service.
In
lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research
Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105, The Salvation Army, 501
Archdale Drive, Charlotte, NC 28217 or the charity of your choice.
Cavin-Cook Funeral Home & Crematory of Mooresville, NC and
Rago-Baldwin Funeral Home of Baraboo, WI are serving the family. Condolences
may be made to the family at www.cavin-cook.com and
www.ragobaldwinfuneralhome.com.
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