Louis Frederick Ostendorff

Louis Frederick Ostendorff, Jr., 84, of James Island, SC died November 18, 2010.  He was born in Charleston, August 30, 1926, the eldest son of the late Louis Frederick Ostendorff, Sr. and Adiena Dorothy Ruth Pieper Ostendorff.  He was the husband of Ida Lou Price Ostendorff of Gilbert, SC.

The relatives and friends of Mr. and Mrs. Louis F. Ostendorff, Jr., are invited to attend the funeral service of the former, at 2:00 pm Sunday, November 21, 2010 in St. John's Lutheran Church.  Interment, Bethany Cemetery. Friends may call at J. HENRY STUHR, INC., DOWNTOWN CHAPEL, Saturday between 4:00 and 6:00 pm.

He was a graduate of Crafts School, the High School of Charleston and The Citadel (Class of 1948).  He was a member of St. Andrews Lutheran Church and St. John's Lutheran Church, Charleston, SC.  He was also a member of the German Friendly Society, the Deutscher Bruderliche Bund, Mended Hearts Society, Merchant Marine Veterans of WWII, VFW Post 445 and American Legion Post 147 on James Island.

In January, 1945, at the end of his sophomore year at The Citadel, he volunteered for service in the Army Transport Service located in North Charleston, SC, where he served on the US Army Hospital Ship "USAHS Thistle" and later on the Liberty Ship "USS James Sullivan".  He returned to The Citadel in 1946 to complete his education.  In 1948, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Field Artillery of The United States Army and also received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering, the first such class to graduate from The Citadel.

Following graduation, he served as a basic training instructor and platoon leader at Fort Jackson, SC.  In 1949, he was transferred to the 7776 Signal Operation Battalion in Karlsruhe, Germany.

After completion of his tour of duty, he was honorably discharged in 1953, and returned to Charleston with his wife Ida and two children.

Subsequent employment included the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company (Junior Designer) and the Charleston Naval Shipyard (Electrical Engineer).  In 1964 he transferred to Virginia to work at the Bureau of Ships/NAVSHIPS/NAVELEX in the field of submarine electronic warfare.  He retired in 1981.  He briefly worked for Life Cycle Engineering Inc. of Charleston following his initial retirement.

He is survived by his wife, Ida and five children: Susan L. Ostendorff, Charleston, SC, Louis F. Ostendorff , III Raleigh, NC, Mary O. McKinna, East Haven, CT, Joanna O. Shumaker, Columbia, SC, and Eric C. Ostendorff, Torrance, CA.  He is also survived by 8 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.  His sister, Dorothy O. Ryan and his brother, Robert S. Ostendorff reside in the Charleston area.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to St. John's Lutheran Church, 5 Clifford Street, Charleston, SC 29401 or Odyssey Hospice, 5965 Core Road, Suite 603, North Charleston, SC 29406.