Kenneth C. Oesterle, Jr.

Kenneth Carlyle Oesterle, Jr., age 76, of New Hudson, passed away on June 25, 2017. He was the first son born to Kenneth and Lillian (nee Rennert) Oesterle on May 4, 1941 in Detroit, Michigan. He was united in marriage on November 24, 1962 to Carole L. Stuckey.   After graduating from Redford Union High School in 1959, Ken proudly served his country in the United States Navy.  He then earned his undergraduate degree in Education from Concordia University and went on to complete a Master’s Degree in Education from Eastern Michigan University.  For 40 over years, Ken taught scores of children in sixth grade and upper elementary learning disabled classes at Redford Union Schools.  He also tutored adults at Schoolcraft College in order to improve their literacy.    Commitment to his career inspired him to develop hand signals to assist students in pronunciation patterns of words.  During this time he also trademarked the Unispell Dictionary that used his self-developed phonetic system to simplify the pronunciation of words.  Also, he invented the game called Count Down 91 that made learning and using multiplication tables fun for kids and adults alike.   Ken had a very analytical mind.  He enjoyed getting all of the available information on a subject, contemplating it, calculating with it if financial and, then, making wise choices. He enjoyed reading, working on cars, summer road trips and singing including in a Barbershop Quartet for a number of years.  Ken was a devoted husband, father, brother, uncle, teacher, and friend.      He is survived by his loving wife Carole; his daughter Laura L. Oesterle; his siblings Dolores (the late John) Curran, Loretta (Don) Keeney, Edward (Gay) Oesterle, and Steve (Rose) Oesterle; and many nieces, nephews, and friends.  Ken was preceded in death by his parents and his sister Marlene (Doug) Hoag.   Visitation will be held Friday, June 30 from 1pm until 2pm with the funeral services beginning at 2pm at Casterline Funeral Home, 122 West Dunlap, Northville. Mitch Yudasz, a Spiritual Care Coordinator with Angela Hospice, will officiate at the service. Ken will be laid to rest at Michigan Memorial Park in Flat Rock on Saturday, July 1 at noon.   Memorial contributions, if desired, would be appreciated for Angela Hospice, 14100 Newburgh Road, Livonia, MI 48154 or Reading Works at readingworksdetroit.org.   “When I began to read, I began to exist.”  – Walter Dean Myers