Kay Elsie Ostrander Stoakes

Kay Elsie Ostrander was born in Goldsboro, North Carolina, a small town near Seymore Johnson Army Air Corp Field. Her father, N.R. "Jack" Ostrander, was stationed there prior to being deployed to the South Pacific. Kay's mother, Virginia Elsie Totten Ostrander, had accompanied her husband to several postings the first years of their marriage.  

 Kay Elsie, named after her Mother and Maternal Grandmother, lived in Boulder for over 75 years, moving to Longmont in 2019.  

Kay died of a broken heart (severe heart and spine stenosis) on July 24, 2025. She lived an exceptional life and always considered herself a Boulder native despite the actual location of her birth. She would often say she was conceived in Boulder and that counted.  

Kay attended Boulder schools including Uni Hill Elementary, BaseLine Junior High and Boulder High School graduating in 1961. Throughout Junior and Senior high school she worked many part time jobs in Boulder. She also attended Northeastern College and CU Boulder. After college she worked for Automation Industries Inc. Kay was a volunteer for several causes including Girl Scouts, the Red Cross and her children's schools. Her most memorable volunteer work was caring for infants who'd been airlifted in from Vietnam. Kay was also a foster parent for infants for many years.  

Kay found her true calling when she started escorting food and wine tours to Germany. The terrific success of these tours led her to forming her own company, Tomato Travel. Tomato Travel was a full service boutique travel agency that often placed in the top ten women owned businesses in Boulder. She continued to organize and host fabulous group trips to multiple destinations in North America and Europe.  

Kay was predeceased by her parents, her brother Norman Ross Ostrander, her brothers-in-law William Roy Norris and Richard John Kraemer and adopted son Timothy Ian Stoakes. She is survived by her sister Linda Louise Ostrander Norris, her adopted children Lisa Gayle Stoakes Thomas, Julius Ian Stoakes, her niece Sara Margaret Norris Oclassen and nephew Wyatt Hamilton Norris. She has six grandchildren, a great niece, a great nephew and a great great nephew. Kay was married for 36 years prior to her divorce in 2006.  

At Kay's preference she has been cremated and there will be no formal services.