Oster, Lewis M. Jr.

Description

Lewis Michael Oster

Lewis Michael Oster was born on June 10, 1896, in Utica, New York, to Regina Bach, age 29, and Lewis Oster, age 28. He was raised and educated In Utica.

He enlisted in the Army January 3, 1918 and was trained as a pilot during World War I. He trained at lone Field in Dallas, TX until his honorable discharge April 1, 1919.

He married Myfanway Williams on August 14, 1920, in Oneida, New York and they had two sons together.

Lewis became YMCA physical education director of Utica. He received his YMCA training at the YMCA school at Silver Bay, N. Y., and the Southern College at Black Mountain, N. C. and also did graduate work at George William college at Lake Geneva, Wis, He served in YA work in Niagara Falls.

Lewis was with the Y in Utica for 17 years until 1934, when he accepted a position at the YMCA in Rye, N. Y. In Rye his family lived at several locations including 11 Pine Lane.

For eight years he was physical education director at the Rye Y. M. C. A. and also recreation director for the City of Rye. Lewis left the “Y” in 1942 to serve in the United Service Organization (USO) during World War II. For over 2 years he was the director of three USO’s based in Antigua.

He partially describes what he did to entertain the troops, “We use USO cars and station wagons to take the men sightseeing.”
Mr. Oster said, “and besides Nelson’s
dockyard, another favorite spot is
Port James, which in the old days
formed the harbor defense of St. John’s. They also like to visit the
sugar cane plantations and to see the operation of the rum factories.”

After the war he left the USO in August 1946 and resumed his career with the YMCA. In October 1946 he accepted a position as executive secretary of the Westfield, CT, YMCA.

Lewis M Oster, 69, of 165 McKinley Avenue Bridgeport Conn died at Bridgeport Hospital Sunday September 22, 1963.

He had been a resident of Bridgeport for only four months. He was executive secretary of the YMCA for 47 years in Utica N Y, Rye N Y, Westfield N Y and Brownville Junction Maine.

At the time of his death, he was survived by his wife Myfanwy W Oster of Bridgeport, two sons Gilbert M Oster of Rancho Cordova Calif and Clark L Oster of Fairfield Conn and four grandchildren Funeral services and cremation took place in Connecticut

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/70981201/obituary…