Otto Lee Gunter Zachow

Otto Lee Gunter Zachow, age 88, a resident of Niceville, Fla., died Oct. 13, 2005, at her home on Bayshore Drive.

A memorial service and interment with military honors at Barrancas National Cemetery in Pensacola, Fla., will be planned for a later date.

Memorials may be sent to Emerald Coast Chapter of Gold Star Wives, P.O. Box 331, Fort Walton Beach, Florida 32549 or Covenant Hospice, 101 Hart Street, Niceville, Florida 32578.

Mrs. Zachow was a native of Andalusia, and was born June 26, 1917, to James Otis Gunter and Anna Parrish Gunter. Raised in Pensacola, Fla., she graduated from Charity Hospital School of Nursing in New Orleans, La., and completed post-graduate coursework at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wis. She served in the Navy Nurse Corps during World War II and received medals including the American Defense Service Medal with Fleet Clasp and the European-African Middle East Campaign Medal. She left military service in 1945 to marry and raise a family. When her husband retired in 1961, they moved to Niceville, Fla., and Mrs. Zachow began working as a nurse at Eglin Regional Hospital's coronary care and intensive care units, retiring in 1980.

Mrs. Zachow helped organize the first Girl Scout troop in the Niceville-Valparaiso area, served as Brownie and Cadet leader, and was the area's first Service Unit Coordinator. She received the Juliette Low Award for her service and dedication to scouting. She was a Hospice of Northwest Florida volunteer for many years and received their Midas Award for "Touching the Heart of the Community" in 1989.

Mrs. Zachow was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Niceville; the Navy Nurse Corps Association; the Order of the Eastern Star, Brookings, South Dakota Chapter 15; Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary Unit 112; VFW Post 10090; Women of the Sea Services (WAVES) Unit 79; and a charter member of Gold Star Wives of America.

Mrs. Zachow was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Lawrence Zachow and her brother, Charles Clyde Gunter.

Survivors include two sons, Lawrence Zachow of Birmingham, and J.O. Zachow of Pensacola, Fla; a daughter, Sandra Binford (Butch) of Dothan; granddaughters Sara Elizabeth Binford, Rebecca Leigh Binford and Laura Kathryn Binford of Dothan; sister-in-law Marian Zachow Lieg of Appleton, Wis.; nieces Tanya Gunter Jones (P.J.) and Theresa Gunter O'Toole (Tim) of Pensacola; nephew Edward Lieg (Nancy) of Appleton; five grandnieces, three grandnephews, seven great-great nieces, four great-great nephews; and special friend, Sadie B. Cobb-Smith of Gary, Ind.

Emerald Coast Funeral Home ofEmerald Coast Funeral Home of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., (850) 864-3361, is in charge of the arrangements.