Richard Neal Ostrander

COOSAW ISLAND - Richard (Dick) Neal Ostrander, age 92, son of Delmar Earl and Grace Elizabeth Ostrander, passed away peacefully at his Coosaw Island home, surrounded by his children. Dick was born 2 December 1922 and was raised in Muscatine, Iowa with three brothers and a loving sister, Geraldine.

As a teenager, Dick played football and ran track. He enjoyed working on cars, hunting in the nearby Iowa cornfields and fishing and navigating the Mississippi. Shortly after graduating from MHS, Dick volunteered for the war effort, first in the Merchant Marines and later in the Navy where he obtained the rank of BM2C(T), petty officer in charge of the 28-man Armed Guard gun crews found aboard the Liberty ships including his service on the Frederick H. Newell, the Harry l. Glucksman, and the turbo-electric tanker Elk Hills.

Upon being honorably discharged 2 February 1946, Dick took advantage of the G.I. Bill (of Rights) and enrolled at the University of Iowa where he graduated with distinction, winning the Lowden Award in Geology. Just short of completing his Master's, Dick accepted an offer from the Superior Oil Company as a petroleum exploration geologist in their Casper, WY office. There he found the love of his life, the late Nina Capillupo and they were married 24 April 1954 and raised three wonderful children.

Dick was an avid believer that if you were going to be a bear, you might as well be a grizzly, tackling large projects including designing and building his first home in the rimrocks of Billings, MT and his retirement home on Coosaw Island; to show his family the United States, Dick bought an old school bus that he converted into a motor home, taking his family on memorable vacations, camping, fishing and looking for arrowheads and fossils.

In 1970, Dick was transferred to Superior's foreign department office in Houston. He traveled extensively around the world bringing home items unique to the countries and cultures visited. After retiring from Superior in 1980, he continued to work as an international consulting geologist before retiring permanently in 1984 to join his brothers, Robert, James and William to build together on contiguous acreage on Coosaw Island, Beaufort, SC.

He spent his retirement days actively playing the stock market and being involved in numerous projects and hobbies, including completion of a 450- foot dock and gardening, as well as treating grandchildren and visitors to the sights and hospitality of the Low Country. Dick had many accomplishments in his life but he will be remembered for his generosity and treating people with respect. He was loved and will be missed by many.

Dick was cared for in his final years by his eldest son Richard K Ostrander and his wife Karen G Ostrander. Son, Robert A Ostrander (Lisa), daughter Susan P Bates (Steven), eight grandchildren: Whitney, Allison, Erin, Taylor, Ryan, Chris, Brooke and Sean; and his brother, William E Ostrander, survive Dick. Dick will be interred with Nina at the Beaufort National Cemetery, "together again for eternity."

Per Dick's wishes, there will be no memorial service.

Those wishing to make a donation may do so to Community Foundation of the Lowcountry referencing Parkinson's Support Groups and mail to Community Foundation of the Lowcountry - Post Office Box 23019 Hilton Head Island, South Carolina 29925 or online at www.cf-lowcountry.org .