Friday, May 17, 2024
John Osterhaug passed away on Sept. 29. He died from cancer at home in his own bed in Edmonds, Washington.
John was born in Ballard, the son of Norwegian immigrants and the youngest of six children. He spent his childhood at the family home on Beach Drive in West Seattle, exploring the beaches and waters of Puget Sound and where boating became a family enterprise.
After graduating from Lakeside School in Seattle in 1954, he attended Reed College, in Portland, Oregon. There he met the love of his life, his future wife, Ingrid Michael, at freshman orientation. They were engaged within a month and married in 1957. They raised five children during 66 years of a happy marriage.
Upon completing his electrical engineering degree at the University of Washington, John went to work for Honeywell Marine Systems. He led teams in designing systems for national defense, energy exploration, and underwater search and rescue.
He retired in 1990 and with Ingrid, and occasionally friends and family, spent years sailing in the Northwest on their sailboat, Prosit!, as well as chartering sailboats in Central America and Europe. Besides enjoying their Edmonds home and community, they traveled throughout Europe.
In 2013, John became a member and then president of the board of the Edmonds Senior Center and led the organization during the process of designing, funding, and building the new Edmonds Waterfront Center that has already become a vital intergenerational gathering place for the Edmonds community.
John loved the outdoors. He hiked, climbed, skied, and was an expert sailor. He was a devoted family man who welcomed children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and countless others at his table for Saturday morning pancakes. He will be remembered for his kindness, intelligence, and creativity, as well as his calm determination, and positive and thoughtful approach to life and leadership.
John is preceded in death by their youngest daughter, Kari (1972-2003). He is survived by his wife, Ingrid; daughter Anita; sons Einar, Erik, and Chris; grandchildren Evan, Bern, Leon, Zash, Elyse, and Tobias; and great-grandchildren Ben, Annalies, and Lyra.
The family requests that donations to honor John’s memory be sent to the Community Café, Senior Meal Program, at the Edmonds Waterfront Center.
