William John "Will" Ostertag

William 'Will' John Ostertag was born on March 2, 1996, to parents Stephanie Clemans and Jack Ostertag. He was a chubby baby with the biggest head anyone had ever seen, covered in bright orange hair. Will passed away November 14, 2024, from a sudden cardiac arrest. He was 28 years old. Heartbroken isn't a big enough word.
Will grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, where he attended St. Francis of Assisi Elementary School and St. Xavier High School. When Will was two, his brother Thomas came onto the scene. They fought like only siblings that close in age know how to. They supported each other in the same way.
Will was a shy but smiley toddler. He grew into a handsome, confident, and-to his nerdy family's surprise-exceedingly popular high schooler. He was a great tennis player, an Eagle Scout, a UK basketball superfan, and the host of more than a few unauthorized house parties.
After graduating from Miami University, Will spent two years in Indianapolis with the Teach for America program. He earned his master's degree in education while teaching math at a middle school sorely in need of smart and caring educators. Mr. Ostertag stayed late coaching basketball and track and was a regular feature in the kids' TikToks. In his first year, test scores skyrocketed, with 90% of his students far surpassing the school's average.
Will thought the point of life was to help people. From campaigning with the Montana Democratic Party to working on Capitol Hill, he pursued a better future. Most recently, Will worked as an Investment Strategy Analyst with the Department of Energy. Coworkers say Will's ability to create meaningful relationships with all kinds of people helped send more than $10 billion toward clean energy initiatives.
On Halloween night 2021, Will met a girl at a party. He texted a friend that she was "perfect." Will had always been exceptionally bright, so he knew that this girl was way out of his league. He would have been delighted to know that Zehra was talking to friends too, saying Will was the funniest person she had ever met. At 25, Will had found what some people go their whole lives without-he had fallen in love and was overjoyed to be loved just as deeply in return.
Will would have wanted us to thank Andy Samberg, the other members of The Lonely Island, and the cast and crew of "Hot Rod," for creating the building blocks for his sense of humor and, possibly, his entire personality. Will routinely made friends and family cry from laughter. When he laughed, which was often and easily, he threw his entire head back. He was an enthusiastic and surprisingly coordinated dancer. He checked in on the people he cared about, celebrated others' accomplishments, and always remembered birthdays. His biggest dream was to be a dad-he would have been an amazing one.
Because Will chose to be an organ donor, he will save lives. The people who know him know this is fitting. Will's family would like to thank the bystanders who tried to save Will's life and all of those who cared for him at MedStar Washington Hospital.
Will is survived by his partner, Zehra Khan; his parents, Stephanie Clemans (Mark French) and Jack Ostertag (Lisa Atwell Tong); his brother, Thomas Ostertag (Kelly Ostertag); stepsisters, Elizabeth and Savanna Tong; his grandmother, Nancy Sandman Ostertag; and many loving aunts, uncles, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Judy Clemans, Joseph Clemans, and Jerome 'Jerry' William Ostertag.
Will will be remembered most for the way he made people feel-light and fun, seen and supported, optimistic, engaged, and cared for. Will spent most of his days thinking seriously and meaningfully about how to make this world a better place. Unfortunately-incomprehensibly-that task now falls to those who loved him. We'll try to do our best.
We will be celebrating Will's life on Saturday, November 23. A visitation will be held at Highlands Funeral Home, 3331 Taylorsville Road, 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, followed by a funeral service at St. Francis of Assisi at 6:30 pm. In lieu of flowers, please donate to one of the following organizations:
- The Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, a DC organization providing comprehensive legal services to those struggling with homelessness: 1200 U Street NW, Washington, DC 20009, https://www.legalclinic.org/donate/
- Jacob's Ladder, a Louisville organization providing community and support to people experiencing homelessness: Jacob's Ladder Outreach, P.O. Box 344, Mount Washington, KY 40047, https://www.jacobsladderlouisville.com/donate
- Horizons at St. Richard's, an Indianapolis program advancing educational equity in the same community where Will taught middle school math: 33 East 33rd Street, Indianapolis, IN 26205, https://www.horizonsindy.org/donate
The family also asks that all who read this become CPR or BLS-certified.