Dr. Jean M.E.G. Oostens, 89, of Columbia, KY died Friday, February 4, 2022 at 4:40 A.M. at the TJ Health Columbia Emergency Room. Dr. Oostens was born in Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium, on November 14, 1932 to the late Eugene and Marie Polet Oostens.
He studied at the University of Louvain (Belgium), where he received Masters degrees in electrical engineering and physics. He later earned a Doctorate in sciences from the University of Paris (France) for his work on Alpha-Proton Scattering using Saturne. Oostens’ love for research and teaching led him to many laboratories and research universities over a career spanning 4 decades, including Saclay (France), Brookhaven National Laboratory (New York), Los Alamos (New Mexico), Upsala College (New Jersey), University of California at Los Angeles, Illinois Institute of Technology, Cincinnati University, Lindsey Wilson College, and finally Campbellsville University. His research centered on nuclear particles and physics, subjects for which he could describe in infinitesimal detail. In retirement, he remained active in central Kentucky working with science teachers in the public schools, teaching fundamentals of physics and providing experiments for young students.
Multilingual, he was fluent in French and English, and read Dutch, German, Italian, and Latin. An enthusiastic self-starter, always with a smile, he easily made friends with everyone he met. One of his joys was to collect old radios, of which he maintained close to 50, some dating back to radio’s earliest days.
Oostens was married to the former Yolande Wittamer for 43 years. She predeceased him in 2017. The couple had no children.
SURVIVORS:
1 sister: Annette Bouffioux of Belgium
4 nieces: Pascale, Véronique, Emmanuelle and Paula Bouffioux of Belgium
Sister-in-law: Nadine Oostens and her daughter Anne of Belgium
2 nephews: Michael Oostens and Alexandre Wittamer of Belgium
Funeral Mass: Monday, February 7, 2022 at 1:00pmCT at Good Shepherd Catholic Church with Father Patrick Dolan officiating
Burial: Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cemetery in Campbellsville
Visitation: Sunday from 3:00-4:00pmCT with a Prayer Service at 4:00pmCT at Grissom-Martin Funeral Home
There will be no visitation on Monday
Grissom-Martin Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
