Joyce Osterhaus

Joyce Elaine Osterhaus, 91, passed away on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. Her loss brings great sadness to her friends and her loving family. Born Nov. 8, 1933, in Lansing, Michigan, Joyce was the daughter of Richard and Tena Adadow. While growing up in Michigan, she attended Lansing Public Schools and obtained her bachelor's degree from Michigan State University. She was married to John Osterhaus.

Joyce worked for many years as a special education teacher. She was an avid reader and was known for her sharp intelligence and her strong interest in literature, music, and politics, as well as sports. A tennis player when she was younger, she followed professional tennis closely, and was also a supporter of the Detroit Tigers. Before her death she lived in Palm Desert, California, where she enjoyed the breathtaking scenery and the year-round warmth. A lifelong Unitarian, she found friends and derived great fulfillment from her involvement in the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Desert.

Joyce was preceded in death by her sisters, Anne Adadow and Jeanne Wurts, and her brother, Richard Adadow. She is survived by her children Joe Osterhaus and Gretchen Perea, and their spouses Alison Paddock and Andy Perea. She is also survived by her three grandsons: AJ Perea (and wife Mikaela), Zachary Perea, and William Osterhaus, as well as her sister, Nancy Gray, and a host of other loving relatives.

Memorial services will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Desert on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, at 10:30 am PDT, with Rev. Ian W. Riddell presiding. Given Joyce's passion for inclusion and social justice, her family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Desert, 72425 Via Vail, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270, 760-321-0694 (https://uucod.org/).