John Richard Otto
John Richard Otto, 1925-2023
John Otto, 97, passed away on January 2, 2023, at the George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Salt Lake City.
Born on November 8, 1925, in Patricksburg, IN to Edith (Sweetring) and Irvin Otto, John was the eldest of three children.
John enlisted in the US Marine Corps in 1944, where he joined the 5th Division for the assault on Iwo Jima during World War II.
John was part of an amphibious reconnaissance company that landed in the second wave and stayed throughout the campaign, often operating behind enemy lines. John remained in the Marine Reserves through the Korean Conflict.
John’s career in broadcasting began at a radio station in Duluth, MN, and continued through moves to other Midwest markets, including Detroit, MI. Switching to advertising, with concentrations in radio and television, John worked on award- winning teams at various firms in Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia.
While in Detroit during the late 1960s, John and his wife Ginny were recruited by the priest of their Catholic parish, William Cunningham, to help others in the founding of the non-profit agency Focus Hope, which continues today helping people with job training and other services.
Outside of work, in addition to enjoying life with his family, John was an accomplished musician. He played the double bass with orchestras and bands across the spectrum of classical, jazz, rock, and country, including gigs with famous groups and leaders like Jimmy Dorsey.
John also loved to get out into nature. One of his favorite retirement pastimes in Salt Lake was playing golf, and he had a regular weekly game with his friends at his “home course” of Forest Dale. John’s community involvement also continued during retirement in Salt Lake, including as a member of his HOA Board and as a participant at the Eckankar Temple in Sandy.
From his long and interesting life, John had many stories he told with humility and humor, from recollections of Iwo Jima he only shared in his later years, to interviewing Louis Armstrong as a new radio host in Duluth, to working on the filming of a battery commercial at Niagara Falls, and to his decades of playing music. But the stories John told with the greatest joy were always about his family, particularly his life with Ginny and their five daughters.
John was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Jo Graham, and his beloved wife of 70 years, Virginia (Ginny) Otto (née Finn). He is survived by his sister Libby Scott, by his five daughters, Jennifer Simmons (Bob), Michelle Otto, Salle Otto, Kimberly Otto-Biebuyck (Remi), and Bridget Otto, granddaughters Rae Chapman (Justin) and Amelia White, step grandchildren Vesper White, Rush Simmons (Brittany), Grier Simmons (Grace), Ann Simmons, and many dear nieces and nephews.
A viewing will be held with family and friends at Starks Funeral Parlor, 3651 South 900 East, Salt Lake City, UT on Tuesday, January 10, 2023 from 2:30 to 3:30 PM. A brief military honors ceremony and an ECK Memorial Service celebrating John’s life will follow immediately at Starks Funeral Parlor. Please visit www. starksfuneral.com to share photos and memories with John’s family.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be given to the Alzheimers Association, www.alzfdn.org , to Focus Hope, www.focushope. edu, or to your favorite charity.