Demakes Family YMCA Dedicates Indoor Track in Memory of Christopher P. Oesterlin

Oesterlin’s father, Phil Oesterlin was a 32-year employee of the Lynn YMCA.

[Lynn, Mass. December 7, 2022] The Demakes Family YMCA in Lynn dedicated its Indoor Track this past weekend in memory of Christopher P. Oesterlin. Christopher passed away suddenly on December 13, 2019 and was the son of long-time YMCA employee Phil Oesterlin and his wife Pam.

“The YMCA has been our family for over 32 years and we are extremely honored they choose to dedicate the indoor track in memory of Christopher. We hope those using it will share in the same love and enjoyment for running as he did. We owe a great deal of gratitude to everyone at the Y who made the dedication event incredibly special,” says Pam Oesterlin, Christopher’s Mother.

“The Oesterlin’s are a huge part of the YMCA of Metro North family,” says Kathleen Walsh, President and CEO of the YMCA of Metro North. “We are grateful to Pam and Phil for allowing us to honor Christopher in this way.”

Christopher attended St. Mary’s Junior High School in Lynn, MA, and St. John’s Prep High School in Danvers, MA. He graduated from Bucknell University with dual degrees in history and political science. He was also a first-year law school student at New England Law in Boston.

He began his running at St. Mary’s; however, his love of the sport developed at St. John’s Prep under the mentorship of Coaches Ray Carey and John Boyle. There he was a member of their cross-country and indoor and outdoor track teams, serving as captain of all three in his senior year. While at St. John’s he was a three-time letter winner in cross country and track; 2009 state champion for the 4×800; 2010 state champion for the 1,000; indoor track team MVP in 2010. Along with his team members, he set school records in the 4×800 and 4×400 relays.

While at Bucknell, he ran for their cross-country and indoor and outdoor track teams under Coach Kevin Donner. During his four years at Bucknell, at the 2012 IC4A Championships, he was a member of the indoor distance medley relay team finishing at 9:59.75, giving them the eighth fastest time in program history; he was a member of the school’s outdoor relay that holds the school record (7:30.63); a member of the outdoor 4×800 relay team at the 2012 Patriot League Championships, finishing at 7:33.07, ranking seventh in program history.

Chris was known for his workout regimen, a passion he inherited from his dad. He loved running (even when not in competition), biking, swimming, and the outdoors. He enjoyed history, particularly WWII, movies, country music, plays, and the annual tradition of Christmas at the Pops concert. Most of all, he loved his friends and, besides his beloved cousins, counted his teammates and coaches as among his most cherished inner circle.

The Indoor Track was dedicated on December 3, 2022.

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