Mary Lou Strickland Kostal died April 18, 2017 of natural causes in her home on Bainbridge Island, surrounded by family and professional care.

She was born Oct. 22, 1929 in Giltner, Nebraska to Flora Mae and Otto Albin Kostal. She attended the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, where she received her bachelor of arts degree in history.

She was a painter and artist, specializing in large abstract oil paintings and medium-sized monotype prints. She loved playing with colors and shapes in her work, and spent many hours in her painting studio at home. She showed her work in galleries and museums around the Puget Sound area. Her most recent shows were at the Northwind Arts Center in Port Townsend and at the Collective Visions Gallery in Bremerton.

She was a patron of the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, the Seattle Art Museum, and Gallery 110 in Seattle. Her hobbies included bird watching, pie baking, studying Latin, house decorating, collecting art and books.

She is survived by her sons, Peri and Philip; daughter-in-law Madeline; granddaughter Nina; Philip’s partner Anca; sister Betty; nephews Sean and Brennan.

Her remains will be buried in Hastings, Nebraska at Parkview Cemetery alongside her parents. A memorial service is planned for July on Bainbridge Island. For details about the service email perih@kotatko.com.