Emily Motley

Emily (Ostrowski) Motley passed away peacefully on the evening of November 26th, 2023, in Washington D.C., after a long illness, surrounded by the love of her family and friends. She was born January 9th, 1975, in Gallup, NM to Robert and Cindy (Wolfe) Ostrowski. When she was two, the family relocated to Bowie, MD where Emily grew up in a childhood rich with friends, family vacations, visits to the pool, camping trips, and many holiday gatherings. She attended Immaculata Preparatory School in Washington D.C. for two years until its closing, before transferring to the Academy of the Holy Cross in Kensington, MD where she graduated in 1993. From there she attended the University of Maryland, College Park and later moved to the city she loved, Washington D.C. Her outgoing personality made account management in the mental health field an excellent fit, her interest in politics and history naturally led her to jobs with law firms, and she formed many lasting friendships in the years she worked in the restaurant industry.

None of these relationships were more important to her than the one with Jeffrey Motley, whom she married on September 29th, 2007. Emily and Jeff spent 16 happy years together, playing golf, dining out, cheering on their beloved Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals, and spending time with friends and family. Their deep love for one another was never more evident than when one of them was experiencing ill-health. The amount of concern and care they showed each other in those times was endless.

Emily was at her happiest when at the beach, with a particular fondness for Ocean Isle, NC, and the beaches in Rehoboth and Dewey, DE. She greatly loved the pets in her life, especially Lucy, a black lab, and cats Melvin and Windsor. She was exceptionally strong-willed, a trait that got her through much in life. But above her love of the beach and her determined nature were the pride and love she showed as an aunt. She made a point to attend every celebration possible, to lovingly welcome births, wish happy birthdays, and cheer graduations. She was always eager to hear about what was going on in the lives of her nieces and nephews, cherishing photos and proudly displaying crayon drawings.

Emily was preceded in death by her loving husband, Jeff Motley. She is survived by her parents, Robert and Cindy (Wolfe) Ostrowski of Ocean Pines, MD; sister Catherine (Ostrowski) Peters and her husband Trey and children Kayla, Eve, and Kellan, all of Red Lion, PA; brother Michael Ostrowski and his wife Evie Shen-Tal of Tucson, AZ; brother Thomas Ostrowski and his wife Chunmei Zhou of Suzhou, China; brother Robert Ostrowski and his wife Denise St. Peter and children Claire, Henry, and Benjamin, all of Bangor, ME; sister Teresa Ostrowski and her husband Sergio Soto and children Elijah Magassouba, Angela Soto, and Sophia Soto, all of Greenbelt, MD; and many friends and extended family.

A memorial visitation will be held for Emily and Jeff on Saturday, December 16th at 11am at Capitol Mortuary Funeral Home, 1425 Maryland Ave NE, Washington D.C. 20002. The family asks that donations be made in Emily's name to Community of Hope (https://www.communityofhopedc.org/donate) or The Washington Home Capital Caring Health Inpatient Center at Sibley Memorial Hospital (https://capitalcaring.funraise.org/).