Astrid Ruth (Erickson) Oosterman

Astrid Ruth (Erickson) Oosterman, 74, died peacefully at the Good Samaritan Hospice-Marley House in Prescott, AZ on Tuesday, June 7, 2011. She lived with her breast cancer for five years with grace and adventure. She said that cancer was her teacher.

Originally from Melrose, MA; the daughter of the late Ruth (Oram) and Ernest Waldemar Ducky Erickson; Astrid was married for 46 years to the late Troy Paul Oosterman, originally of Whitinsville, MA. Together they were the proprietors of Oostermans Rest Homes in Melrose and Wakefield, MA, a family business begun by Troys parents, now owned and operated by their youngest son, Robert and his wife Cheryl. In the 1970s Astrid went to UMass-Boston where she earned a BA in History. She worked at the law firm of Harrison & McGuire in Boston, and then at Educators for Social Responsibility in Cambridge. When Astrid and Troy retired in 1994, they moved from Melrose, MA to Prescott, AZ. There she developed her talent as a naturally gifted painter and was an art docent in the Prescott school system. Astrid loved gardening, traveling, kayaking, and was an enthusiastic Red Sox fan and a life-long, liberal Democrat.

Astrid is survived by her three sons and their wives: Paul and Dana of New Ipswich, NH; James and Lisa of Melrose, MA; and Robert and Cheryl of Melrose, MA; five grandchildren: Mark of Sandy, Oregon; Ryan and Lindsay of New Ipswich, NH; Kate and Lauren of Melrose, MA; and her dear friend Dianne Norris of Prescott, AZ.

Astrid was a member of First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ in Melrose, MA for over 60 years. She also studied at the Garchen Buddhist Institute in Prescott, AZ for over 10 years.

Contributions in Astrids memory may be made to Garchen Prescott Sangha, P.O. Box 495,Prescott, Arizona 86302, or to the charity of your choice.