Saratoga - Michael Joseph Ostrelich, age 87, passed away peacefully at Saratoga Hospital on September 3, 2025. 

Born June 17, 1938 in New York City to Anna and Michael Ostrelic, Michael was the oldest of four children. He was a NYC kid, and he grew up in a small five-floor walk-up on West 110th Street. He was academically talented at school, worked to help support his family, learned trade skills and earned money for college – including on the docks as a welder with his father and on the Ford auto assembly line in legendary Sleepy Hollow, NY. He was especially proud to have been able to pay for their first telephone in the apartment. Notably, Michael was a member of the Saxons “gang” in high school, jacket and all. A favorite family story was how his mother forbade him from having a motorcycle, so he bought one, took it apart and hid the pieces under his bed. His father found out, and also loving motorcycles, helped him rebuild it. 

Michael attended De La Salle Academy and New York University where he earned his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. Following a brief stint at Fordham Law School, Michael doubled down on a career in engineering by getting his master's degree in electrical engineering from Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn. In his 40’s he earned an MBA from the University of Connecticut. And when he was 76 (that’s not a typo), he earned a third master's degree, this time in nano science at the then-SUNY Poly Tech where he enjoyed being on a campus again with young engineers and encouraging professors.

Michael met his life partner, Sandra Ikler, serendipitously on the Third Avenue bus in New York City and his life was forever expanded to include things other than engineering. They lived most of their married life in southern Connecticut where they raised two daughters, Helene and Michelle. Michael loved to ski, skate, play tennis and garden. He loved all things musical: Broadway, ballet, the symphony, especially at SPAC after they’d retired to Saratoga Springs. He could conduct from his seat like a pro. In Saratoga, he even enjoyed serving on the homeowners’ board at Water’s Edge because of the wonderful people he met.

Michael and Sandra loved to travel the world together. He could tell you the best meal he had in every city and town they visited. He adored his family and enjoyed sharing his hobbies and his profession with his daughters, and then granddaughters, forever hopeful that one would become an engineer too. But what he was known for most was his smile and joy for life. He loved to laugh big and surrounded himself with fun, vibrant and entertaining people. People who knew him likely still hear his laugh in their mind. His joyfulness will be missed.

His true passion was his work. There is no word that can adequately convey how much he loved being an engineer. Highlights of his career include working on the life support sensors for the Apollo Lunar Lander at Perkin Elmer; working on the Hubble space telescope; designing electromechanical equipment for Western Union; designing small consumer appliances at General Electric, earning a patent for the design of the very first travel iron (despite having never actually used an iron himself); designing laser and electron beam recording systems at CBS Labs; and designing video recording equipment with vibration isolation and vacuum pumping systems with Image Graphics. He also did work on spy satellites, but obviously the details were top secret. He was a principal at Minarad Systems where he developed specialized infrared optical test instruments. He was a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers for his entire career, and when he moved to Saratoga Springs, he loved attending local meetings and organizing field trips and speakers for the group. 

Even outside of work, he had a penchant for over-engineering common items like his shoe horn, deck furniture and placing a hydraulics system onto his wife’s walker. There was always a way to improve off-the-shelf products, providing his local machine shop with plenty of business.

Survivors include Michael’s daughters and sons-in-law Helene & David Dahan of Pleasantville, NY and Michelle Ostrelich & Howard Schlossberg of Niskayuna, NY; his beloved grandchildren Fiona, Brandon, Avery and Rachel; sisters Lillian Gargan of Greenfield, NY and Johanna Ekstrom of Kitchell Lake, NJ, sister-in-law Thelma Ikler of Albany, NY, and a beautiful, huge family of nieces, grandnieces, grandnephews and cousins. 

Michael was preceded in death by his brother John Ostrelich. Michael was especially concerned about the immense costs required for the care of his grandson who was born with Prader Willi Syndrome. Memorial contributions are most appreciated for the Brandon Dahan Supplemental Needs Trust, 51 Sky Top Drive, Pleasantville, NY 10570 or to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Many thanks to Michael’s medical care providers and cherished friends who helped him live independently up to the end. A private memorial service will be at a later date.

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