Mel and Sharon Ostwald were married in 1966 in Minneapolis, MN. Mel received his BA in theatre and music from The University of Minnesota . Sharon received her BS (nursing) from Wheaton College and MS and PhD degrees from The University of Minnesota. Mel retired from retail sales in 1994 when they moved from Minneapolis to Houston. After teaching at The University of Minnesota and The University of Texas in Houston, Sharon retired as a professor emerita in 2012. As a couple, Mel & Sharon enjoyed travel, good food and wine, photography, writing, and entertaining. They shared a strong faith in God, a belief in the importance of service to others, and an unconditional love for each other that sustained them through a 4-year battle with cancer.