Otis Lee Hurt

Otis Lee Hurt Longtime Bristolian Otis Lee Hurt, passed away on Dec. 24, 2009. He was 85. Born in Blacksburg, Va., Otis was the son of Bessie and Mark Nicholas Hurt, a machinist for the N&W Railway. His father died when Otis was 10 during the midst of the depression. To help support his mother and his brother, Bruce, Otis carried papers, and worked 12 hour shifts at the A&P grocery on Saturdays. Shortly after turning 18, Otis volunteered to fight in World War II. He joined the Army and subsequently became an engineer gunner in the newly-created Army Air Force. Much of his time was spent ferrying planes to Italy and North Africa. After receiving an honorable discharge in 1946, Otis enrolled in Virginia Tech, then known as VPI, on the GI Bill. Majoring in accounting, he graduated in 1949, and was elected to Phi Kappa Phi. Shortly after graduating, he accepted a job as a cost accountant from William J. Tilley at a small steel fabricator called Bristol Steel and Iron Works. He moved to Bristol and never left. In 1950, Otis noticed a new employee at Bristol Steel, a cute receptionist named Jeanne Laverne Thompson, a daughter of the legendary Bristol Herald Courier sports editor "Pappy" Thompson. After a whirlwind romance, they were married in Aug. At Bristol Steel, Otis rose through the ranks of management to become Executive Vice President in 1967. During his decades with the company, Bristol Steel experienced dramatic growth to become the largest steel fabricator in the southeast United States, and a major employer in Bristol. In 1984, he was promoted to president, a position that he held until his retirement. Otis devoted innumerable hours to serving Bristol's various civic institutions. This service included acting as chairman of the Bristol Virginia School Board, President of Bristol Memorial Hospital, President of the American Cancer Society, and President of American Heart Association. He also served on boards of the Rotary Club and the Bristol United Fund. He was a member of Central Presbyterian Church. He served as an elder, and chairman of the board of deacons, and taught the men's Sunday School class for many years. Otis' family was at the center of his life. He is survived by his wife Jeanne; his four children; and 14 grandchildren; daughter, Nancy, her husband Paul Schlirf, and their children, Laura Lester (Kyle), and John; son, Mark, his wife Rhonda, and their children, Lauren, Alex, and Thomas; daughter, Lynn, her husband Jim Davis, and their children, Leah, Vic and Eve; son, Eric, his wife Tara, and their children, Ryland, Mason, Griffin, Kane, Colby and Brogan. Otis was an excellent athlete. He loved baseball as child, and was a star player on the Blacksburg High School Basketball Team. But his lifelong athletic passion was tennis. Otis's love of tennis began when his mother bought him a racket for 50 cents when he was 12 years old. Two years later he won his first trophy as runner-up in the Roanoke Boys 14 and under singles city tournament. He went on to play on VPI's very first Varsity Tennis Team his senior year of college. After moving to Bristol, he became a major player in the local tennis scene for the next 50 years. He won countless tournaments in the region and was known for his steady backhand and his "ageless" athletic prowess. Even at age 63, he won the men's singles championship at Bristol County Club yet again. In 1977, Otis realized his dream of building his own tennis court. Friends and family spent many happy hours on the court with him, often ending with refreshments on the patio. A self-taught player, Otis had a passion for teaching the game to others. He taught and coached his children, who went on to excel on varsity high school and college teams. And he introduced many of his grandchildren to the game. Later, he went on to teach tennis to kids in the National Junior Tennis League, and filled in as coach of the Virginia High School Boys Tennis Team. In recognition of his many accomplishments and contributions to the game of tennis, Otis was inducted into the ETSU Tennis Hall of Fame. During his last years, Otis struggled with Alzheimers and spent the last 16 months at NHC. Yet until the end he stayed physically active and always had a welcome smile and a kind word for his family and friends. Otis's family would like to thank his caregivers Jane Hess, Peggy Bailey, and the staff at NHC for their countless hours of loving care. The visitation will be Sunday from 4 to 6 p.m. at Akard Funeral Home. A reception will be held at Central Presbyterian Church at 1 p.m., followed by the funeral service at 2 p.m., Monday, Dec. 28, 2009, with Dr. David Wadsworth officiating. Burial will follow in Glenwood Cemetery. Memorials may be sent to Healing Hands Health Center, 210 Memorial Dr., Bristol, TN 37620; or Central Presbyterian Church, 301 Euclid Ave., Bristol, VA 24201. Email condolences may be sent to the family at akardfh@akardfuneralhome.com Akard Funeral Home, 1912 W. State St., Bristol, Tenn., (423) 989-4800 is serving the family of Mr. Hurt.