Anders Oftelie

Anders Oftelie, age 51, of St. Paul, died unexpectedly on December 20, 2025.

He is survived by his mother, Kathy Oftelie of St. Paul, and his brother, Alexander Oftelie of Minneapolis. He was preceded in death by his father, Winton "Al" Oftelie, in 2023.

He is also survived by his uncle Dale Oftelie of St. Paul, MN, and cousins Elizabeth Oftelie, Meg Oftelie, Joel Bjorkquist of Remer, MN, Michael Bjorkquist of New Hope, MN, and Sara Oftelie and Ethan Erickson of Plymouth, MN.

Additional survivors include his aunt Jenny Walthers of Indiana and cousins David Walthers and Christopher Walthers; his aunt Martha Nordquist of Ohio and cousins Sonja Crooks and Molly Hartnell; and his uncle Bruce Nordquist of Bayport, MN, with cousins Ben Nordquist of Webster, MN, Keith Nordquist of California, and Ken Nordquist of New Hampshire.

Anders was a caring, friendly, bright, inquisitive, and "laid-back" person with countless interests, skills, and passions. One of his greatest loves was travel, which began early on a fifth-grade class trip to Mexico. As the only Spanish speaker in his family, he delighted in ordering meals-once requesting grilled fish topped with octopus tentacles, still moving with suction cups intact. Anders ate them enthusiastically; his mother was less amused.

Another formative experience was a month-long family journey through Scandinavia. After traveling through Sweden, Norway, and Germany, the boys finally reached Legoland in Denmark. Anders shouted, "Play at last!" as they dove into a massive box of LEGOs, completely absorbed in creative possibility.

Anders loved Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, especially camping, outdoor activities, and working on badges alongside his father and brother. He participated in summer programs for Twin Cities Talented Youth at Macalester College, focusing on theater and music, and later joined the Central High School Touring Theater program.

As a senior, inspired by his love of Billy Joel's music, Anders wrote the play This Is My Life, My Time. Fellow theater students acted in, produced, and videotaped the play with guidance from theater staff. The project served as his Eagle Scout community service project, and following a community presentation, the recording was shared with St. Paul schools as an educational resource for students and families navigating disabilities and personal challenges.

Anders earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theater from St. Olaf College, including a January term studying theater in London and traveling in England, Scotland, and Wales. After graduating, he completed a summer internship in musical theater at the Maine State Music Theater and volunteered as an instructor with the Central Theater program. He also worked backstage on productions at many Twin Cities theaters, including Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis and Park Square Theatre in St. Paul.

Deeply committed to civic engagement and social issues, Anders served for more than 23 years as a Registration Judge in St. Paul for local, state, and national primary and general elections. He was known for calmly and sensitively helping voters resolve registration issues, often in tense situations. He also served for 20 years as a regional and state judge for National History Day competitions, a role he loved and especially enjoyed sharing with his brother.

After volunteering with homework and computer programs at the Rondo Library in St. Paul, Anders earned a Master's Degree in Library and Information Science from St. Catherine University. He worked for more than 12 years at the St. Paul Public Library, serving at Hayden Heights Library and later at the George Latimer Central Library downtown. He especially loved research support, History Day programs, music, lectures, and teaching in the library's "Lab." His colleagues and patrons made this work deeply meaningful.

Travel remained a lifelong passion. A journey to Israel and the Holy Land with his aunt Jenny and grandmother revealed striking contrasts between ancient history and modern life. He also enjoyed train trips to Chicago, Seattle, Vancouver, and New Orleans; music-filled visits to Memphis, Nashville, and Bourbon Street; historic explorations in Boston and Washington, D.C.; and theater trips to San Francisco, Toronto, Montreal, and especially New York. Wherever he traveled, Anders always made time to visit the local library.

Anders enjoyed alumni activities with his brother at the University of Minnesota, years of Minnesota Gopher football games with cousins, and Gopher women's basketball games with his mother. In recent years, he became a familiar and beloved presence at weekly trivia nights-often winning-at the St. Paul Green Mill Restaurant. His cheerfulness, curiosity, kindness, and generosity of spirit will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

A Celebration of Life for Anders Oftelie will be held on Monday, January 26, 2026, at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 700 Snelling Avenue South, St. Paul. Visitation will be held at 10:00 a.m., followed by the service at 11:00 a.m. Lunch will be served at 12:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Friends of the St. Paul Public Library and The Playwrights Center.