This is a picture I took a few years ago of Otis. I knew him for near 35 years. Not a close friend but a man whose company I always enjoyed.
Otis was a fixture, a pillar of the Fallbrook community. We met at lunch three or four days ago and talked for at least a half hour. At the Greek's.
The same place I was at when Renée called me with the sad news this afternoon. Not sure of the hows and whys.
We could talk about anything, he was a robust man who had a keen mind and an easy, laid back manner. Big, honest laugh and a powerful handshake. The other day we talked about his wife Linda and his sister, a minister, amongst other things.
Poof, he's gone.
Otis was a man of means but he never put on airs. No pretense to the man whatsoever. He loved latin american art, traveling to exotic locales, bird hunting, poker, mostly he loved and took great pride in his family.
He always seemed to have a good bullshit detector. We were on the opposite side of the fence politically but always respected each other and got along great. He was highly intelligent and will be missed by a lot of people around these parts, including me.
Goodbye Otie. Life is short.
4 comments:
Too many now gone and I fear that it is just beginning. Entropy always wins at the end.
This news hit me like a sledgehammer. We were out of town and out of touch till today, the 27th. Otis was like a force of nature; it's hard thinking that he's gone.
We bought his house in Fallbrook back in 2004, and not a day goes by that I don't see the results of his vision. He was a good man with an unappreciated genius.
I'd like to get together and share stories, Robert. Thanks for the nice words about Otis.
Jeff Nichols
I can't believe Otis is gone, he was such an amazing guy. He stopped by our gallery a few days before Christmas to see how we were doing, and of course he was all smiles. Otis was the type of guy that always asked how your family was doing, and if he could help out in any way. His upbeat personality was infectious, I loved his company. We shared a few laughs together and I told him how great he looked, which inevitably caused him to slap his belly and make a joke at his own expense. Of the 10+ years I knew him I can honestly say that he always had something nice to say, which is a rare trait in people these days. I'm so sad to hear of this news, he will be missed dearly.
Nick Johnson
Robert
Otie also enjoyed your company -
He lived a full life of accomplishment and he and Linda raised three fine sons in the process. We will miss him.
Warm Regards
Frank
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