Jeffrey "Jeff" Ostrowski, age 58, passed away peacefully at home on November 21st surrounded by his family.

Jeff was born in Wilson, NC in 1962 and was raised in Lancaster, PA. Over the last 23 years, he was a resident of Glen Mills, PA. Jeff graduated from Lancaster Catholic High School in 1980 and Juniata College in 1984. Juniata is where Jeff met Peggy Evans, the one person on campus who was more competitive than him. They were married in 1988 and welcomed their son Curt in 1996 and their daughter Carly in 1998.

Jeff had a knack for making people better—whether it was family, friends, colleagues, or patients. He became a Physical Therapist in order to help others live a more functional and pain-free life, but what the profession got out of Jeff was even more. Jeff graduated Summa Cum Laude from Thomas Jefferson University School of Physical Therapy in 1986. In 1990, Jeff Co-founded Excel Physical Therapy in Philadelphia. In 2011, Excel merged with Apex Physical Therapy to become E&A Therapy Inc., where Jeff was the Managing Partner to the 35 Excel clinics in the Philadelphia region.

As a leader in the industry and an advocate for developing exemplary physical therapists, Jeff was the Southeast District (SED) Director of the Pennsylvania Physical Therapy Association (PPTA) from 2011-2015 and the Director of the American Physical Therapy Association's (APTA) Private Practice Section (PPS) from 2011-2017. Whether it was a CEO of a healthcare company or a PT Aide, Jeff treated every individual with dignity and respect, and understood that they all had an equal share of value in this profession. Jeff has contributed to the advancement of physical therapy through mentorship and education as both an employer, a colleague, and an adjunct professor at Drexel University. In addition, Jeff was the Editor of the APTA PPS magazine, IMPACT, for over five years and an author of numerous articles. Jeff has been attributed to the growth of not only his clinics, but of his colleagues and employees. He has motivated and pushed them out of their comfort zone to be the best version of themselves, professionally and personally, and was most recently awarded the 2019 PPTA Service Award.

Jeff has always been a dedicated fitness and health enthusiast. Before each of his cancer treatments, he would get down and crank out 50 pushups, inspiring everyone around him. Throughout his years, if he wasn't on his road bike or playing at the local volleyball sand courts, you could find him in his driveway shooting hoops with Curt or passing the volleyball in the backyard with Carly and Peggy. Jeff treasured the time spent watching his daughter play competitive volleyball at Villa Maria Academy and presently at Franklin & Marshall College where Carly is a team captain. Not far from the volleyball courts at F&M, Curt was studying at Millersville University gaining his Certification in Integrated Studies and was featured in the University's documentary about the program. The accomplishments of Curt and Carly in their college careers had brought Jeff and Peggy back to Lancaster where they enjoyed spending more time over the recent years. Jeff and Peggy are so proud of their children and being close to them just made sense.

Jeff was a member at Concord Country Club where he enjoyed golfing with Peggy and participating in the Men's book club he started several years ago. As an avid NASCAR fan, Jeff enjoyed traveling to races with his brothers. He and his brothers, Jim and Dan would race to complete the NYT crossword every Sunday morning, comparing their speed and accuracy. Jeff enjoyed hosting many dinner parties with Peggy at their home, where you would find discussions from book recommendations, to planning a trip to the next concert, and thoughtful political discourse between friends, colleagues, and neighbors. Jeff was a great listener and was interested in all opinions and points of view. But more than that, Jeff had an eloquent way of explaining his thoughts in the most respectful and well-informed manner.

Jeff treasured spending time with his family at OBX every summer. Jeff's favorite activities were flying his trick kite, listening to music, and 5 pm Gin Martinis with his Dad and brothers. Family was everything to Jeff, and each of them had a crucial part in who he was as a person. Lynne, the only sister, was the life of the party and kept the family close together. Jeff has deeply valued the memorable conversations and advice exchanged with Lynne throughout the years. He admired all of his brothers; Jim, Dan, his older brother Mike, who had Jeff's unwavering respect, and his younger brother, Andy, whom Jeff would do anything for. His parents, Joan and Hugh, were adored and admired through all of their sacrifices and for instilling in him the importance of family values and love, which they passed on to their children.

There is no doubt that Jeff has worked extremely hard his entire life, but he has always made time to create extraordinary memories with his family, close friends, and neighbors. He has made a positive impact on more lives than he would ever take credit for. And for that and more, his family and friends cherish all the beautiful years that Jeff has been present with them on Earth. They know that Jeff will continue his positive influence on their lives while looking down from heaven.

Jeff is survived by his wife of over 32 years, Peggy Evans; his children, Curtis and Carly; his parents, Joan and Hugh Ostrowski; his brothers, Mike (Lorraine), Jim (Marcia), Andy, Dan (Melissa), and his sister, Lynne Groff (Brian).

There will be a private family funeral held in Lancaster PA. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date in Glen Mills, PA. In lieu of flowers please donate to the Villa Fund at Villa Maria Academy High School 370 Central Ave, Malvern, PA 19355 or online at www.vmahs.org. The funds will be used to upgrade the Athletic Training Department as per Jeff's wishes.