Louise Van Ostenbridge

Louise "Lou" Van Ostenbridge (nee Wuestenhagen) age 90 of Wayne passed away after a short illness on Thursday, November 4, 2021.

Lou was born and raised in Hawthorne and lived there until she moved to Wayne over 65 years ago. She graduated from Hawthorne High School in 1949 where she was co-captain of the cheerleading squad and voted Most Likely to Succeed. After high school, Lou attended Douglass College (now part of Rutgers University) where she studied to be a physical education teacher. She left college in 1952 to marry her high school sweetheart, Jim Van Ostenbridge.

When her husband Jim was drafted into the U.S. Army and shipped overseas to serve in the Korean War, Lou went to work for AT&T initially as an operator and then as an operator trainer. After Jim returned from serving his country, Lou and Jim moved to Wayne where they enjoyed 62 years of marriage and raised their four children. After the children were grown and moved away, Lou went to work providing secretarial support to Jim for his work in the construction industry. The transition from being partners in life to being partners in the working world was natural for them.

Lou’s focus in life was always on her family. She was a devoted wife, a dedicated and loving mother, and a cherished grandmother. Family holiday meals were her specialty. Every year at Christmas, her children and grandchildren looked forward to the large cookie tins she would share filled with homemade treats. It seemed like she had every baking pan and cooking gadget ever invented. She took cooking classes not because she needed to learn to cook (far from it!) but because she was always interested in trying new recipes and cooking techniques.

Although she was quiet, Lou had an adventurous side, too. She and her husband Jim bought an RV in the 1980s and used it to travel around the country. Combined with airline flights to Alaska and Hawaii, they used the RV to accomplish their goal of exploring all 50 U.S. states. The RV was also used for “tailgating” at New York Giant football games for which they had season tickets. Family members and friends were always thrilled to be invited to spend a chilly Fall afternoon watching a game live and then going back to the warm RV for one of Lou’s hot, home-cooked meals.    

Lou and Jim were both devoted to their faith and were active members in the Preakness Reformed Church in Wayne. Lou’s involvement at Preakness Reformed Church was highlighted by 50 years of singing in the choir. She served as music librarian for much of that time.

Lou was predeceased by her husband Jim and brother Frank Wuestenhagen. She is survived by 3 daughters: Peggy Presnell and her husband Linn of Farmington, MO; Patricia Lanno of Blowing Rock, NC; Susan Harden and her husband Scott of Wayne, one son: Daniel and his wife Lisa of Malvern, PA, and 7 grandchildren: James, Jay, Matthew, CJ, Mitchell, Thomas and Alyssa.

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In lieu of flowers, donations in Lou's name may be made to Preakness Reformed Church, 131 Church Lane, Wayne, NJ 07470.