Ray Otto

Ray Otto

Longtime Toledo dentist, Ray Otto, died peacefully on Friday November 15th, surrounded by his wife and 5 children. His bright smile and loving spirit touched his family, friends, colleagues, and patients internationally. His commitment to family, service, learning and understanding the world around him defined his very long and full life.

Born in Hillsville, Pennsylvania in 1928, he graduated from Temple University and served as a first lieutenant in the US Army during the Korean Conflict. After his service he entered the Dental School of the University of Pittsburgh. There he met Sheila, his wife of 61 years, when he was a volunteer waiter for an event at her college. He continued to take charge of clearing the table and making the most out of every opportunity until just a few months ago.

Dentistry and a commitment to community service originally brought Ray to Toledo in 1958 to serve for a year at the local red feather agency Dental Dispensary. He continued in his own practice and then Ray and Dr. Bob Weisenburger formed Dental Group West in 1979, that is still serving patients today.

Driven to excellence, Ray was a leader in dental study groups and taught countless residents as an Instructor for 16 years at the Medical College of Ohio. Ray's committment to service expanded over time and he and Sheila joined the Mercy Ships Volunteer Program for three short-term medical missionary trips to the Carribean and Africa. He capped off his 40-year dental career on a final service trip at a community clinic in East London, South Africa.

Ray and Sheila combined their commitment to service by hosting foreign students and families, helping resettle refugee families, being part of the Christian Family Movement, establishing Marriage Encounter in the diocese, and living their core values every day.

Ray cherished nature as an avid hunter, fisherman and outdoorsman. Fishing on Lake Erie to Alaska and duck, goose, deer and antelope hunting with his band of buddies and muliple generations of family gave him joy. Breckenridge, Colorado became a family base for western skiing and hunting, but more importantly, it became the center for many family and friends gathering to laugh, play, make sausage, and enjoy the mountains in every season.

Ray loved to travel and exciting family trips were important to him for building family unity. In the '60s, '70s, and '80s he hauled a camper behind many a station wagon crisscrossing the US, often including his mother in the entourage. The family trips grew from skiing in Michigan to exploring slopes across the West, to international travel. The first overseas family trip was to Italy to celebrate the feast of Saint Otto in the village where his father was born, then a fortieth anniversary family trip to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana and a fiftieth anniversary trip to the Galapagas and Machu Pichu.

His legacy will be carried on by his wife, Sheila, children, Chrissa Michelle of Phoenix, AZ, Cindy Otto of Philadelphia, PA, BA Laris of Long Beach, CA, Dennis Otto and partner Robert Meadows of San Francisco, CA, and Gregg Otto and daughter-in-law Elisa San Souci of Jackson, WY.; grandchildren: Steven and Mitchell Wurm, Copeland and Quincy Laris, and August and Amelie Otto; sister-in-law Doris Otto of Farmington, CT. and niece, Audrey Byrnett of West Hartford, CT.

Ray's family is beyond grateful for the loving care and skilled attention he received through Hospice of Northwest Ohio, at The Grove, and from his caregivers over the past several years. As a final act of service and commitment to advancing science and medical understanding, Ray donated his body to UTMC. A gathering to celebrate his life will be held at Corpus Christi University Parish on January 11, 2020, at 11am.

If you would like to honor your own memory of Ray, the best thing would be to share a kind word with a loved one… or Ray suggested a contribution in his honor to the Working Dog Center of Univeristy of Pennsylvania Veterinary School https://www.vet.upenn.edu/research/centers-initiatives/penn-vet-working-dog-center Corpus Christi University Parish or the Cherry Street Mission.