Patricia L Nostrand

Pat Nostrand — a member of that generation who endured a Depression and a world war and somehow emerged unresentful, optimistic about the future and possessing a firm belief in the goodness of people — died at the end of April, one week shy of her 97th birthday. Death came peacefully at the Actors Fund Home in Englewood, where a loving and compassionate staff had helped her through the dementia that diminished her last years and ultimately caused her passing. Pat Nostrand lived a long life, to be sure, and she packed it full of what was important — love of her family and friends, humor, service to the community, a deep Christian faith and a love of beauty. Blessed with a physical beauty that lasted until the day she died, it was her inner glow that most attracted people to her. She was the wife of the late G. Lott Nostrand, mother of Linda Krain (and her husband, Jon Krain), of California; mother of Tim Nostrand (and his wife, Lisa Nostrand) of Teaneck; grandmother of Ethan Lott Krain, Molly Clark (nee Krain) and Emma Nostrand, and also “Nanny” to Elizabeth Curtis and Whitney Reeds. She was a great grandmother to four young girls. “She was a woman who counted her blessings, who didn’t waste her precious time longing for more than she had,” said Emma Nostrand, the youngest of her three grandchildren. “She loved love, and she loved people. She looked first for the good in everyone she met. She had an uncanny knack for finding joy in the even the darkest of times, and once she knew what needed to be done, she went and did it. Even when it scared her.” In Pat Nostrand’s world, doing your part and pitching in was just what one did. It came naturally, almost by instinct. She worked outside the home for only a short time, but she had a career of non-paid service and a resume filled with contributions to the common good. A volunteer at Englewood Hospital for some 40 years, she amassed thousands of service hours — not counting the time spent on numerous committees, boards and fundraisers. At one point, she chaired the medical center’s volunteer services committee. That resume had many other features — church fairs, food drives, driving the elderly to doctor appointments, to name a few. For a long while, she transcribed textbooks into Braille, first mastering a specialized typewriter tailored for the purpose. The manuscripts she produced were then used to mass-produce the textbooks for use in schools. Music was a constant in her life. She inherited an appreciation for it, especially from her mother, and then passed that along to her own children, who did the same in their families. (It’s much like her love for crossword puzzles — now firmly embedded in a fourth generation of the family.) And she had talent herself, a natural mezzo-soprano voice. Many of the uncounted hours at Englewood Hospital were spent teamed with piano player and belting show tunes and selections from the Great American Songbook to appreciative patients, families and staffers. Her tastes were eclectic, ranging from musical theatre to Mozart, from Nat King Cole to Neil Young. The car she drove until she was 90 had a preset tuned to WBGO, the jazz station in Newark. She never forgot a lyric, and until her dying day was singing along with Frank, Ella and Tony, thanks to an Alexa device at her bedside. Patricia Jeanne Lott was born on May 6, 1925, in Philadelphia, the only child of William Lott and Helyn Lott (nee Morrison). Her paternal lineage dated to the original Dutch settlers of Brooklyn, and she was proud of that. But it was her mother’s Scottish ancestry that meant most to her. Both grandparents were born near Glascow and came to America as adults. She talked fondly of her grandfather, and even at age 90 she could still render a credible version of “Wee Deoch an’ Doris,” which she learned from him, in the original Scots language. (Look it up; it’s very fitting.) Her father’s career took the young family to Syracuse — where she had an early childhood she recalled warmly. Then the Depression hit. Details are lost to time, but suffice it to say, times got hard. Soon the family was staying with family in Brooklyn and my grandmother went back to work. Educated in the NYC public schools, she attended what was then called Bay Ridge High, an all-girls school. It was time when she formed many enduring friendships — a lifelong trait. After graduating in 1943, she went to secretarial school and got a job. Many young soldiers and sailors came to call, but it was fellow parishioner at the New Utrecht Reformed Church who won her heart. Lott Nostrand (he hated “George,” his given name), was a sergeant in the Army, having been inducted right after graduating from law school. He too came from old Dutch roots in Brooklyn — in fact, they were distant cousins. They did not know each other — he was seven years older — but it was suggested that she write to him, as part of an effort to keep up morale of congregation members in the service. After his discharge, he looked her up — and was smitten, proposing after their second date. They married and took up residence in the Bath Beach section of Bensonhurst, with Lott working as a lawyer at a downtown Brooklyn practice. Their first child, Linda (Jeanne), was born in 1949 and their son, Timothy (Lott), in 1953; both were baptized at the old New Utrecht church, just a few blocks away. The family moved to Tenafly, NJ, in 1961 and built a new life there. Pat and Lott joined a new church — the Presbyterian Church at Tenafly — and became vibrant parts of a new community, each in their own way establishing themselves as people who wanted to help. At every stop along the way, Pat Nostrand left her mark, leaving things better than the way she found them. It was just what came naturally. Here are the details of the services planned to honor her memory: Visitation will occur June 22, at Barrett’s Funeral Home in Tenafly, between 2 and 4 p.m. and 7 and 9 p.m. A memorial service will be held June 23 at The Presbyterian Church at Tenafly, at 11 a.m. A private family interment of her ashes will take place following the service in Brooklyn, at the old Dutch Reformed graveyard where most of the Nostrand/Lott ancestors are buried. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Actors Fund Home would be appreciated; 155-175 Hudson Avenue in Englewood, NJ 07631.

Patricia L Nostrand

April 28, 2022