William J. Ostrow ’53

Bill was born in Paterson, N.J., and came to Princeton from Eastside High School. At Princeton he majored in history and was a member of Court Club. He was also on the executive council of the Hillel Foundation and was active in the work of the Student Christian Association.

He was drafted into the Army while doing graduate work at Columbia and spent two years with the Army Medical Corps at Fort Hood, Texas.

Returning to graduate school in the evenings, Bill began to work in the textile industry and eventually bought his own company, Park Silk Co., which he developed into an international business.

After closing down that business, he moved to Florida, where he lived in semi-retirement, ran a small business, and became deeply involved in work with abused children as a member of the board of the Children’s Home Society of Florida, chairman of the board of the American Children’s Home Committee, and the Teen Age Shelter Care Committee. Fully retired for the last 15 years, he enjoyed golf , tennis, and creating original stained- glass windows.

He died peacefully Feb. 18, 2017, at his home in Boca Raton, Fla., with his wife at his side. He is survived by his wife, Laurence Irene; and his son, Andrew Craig.