Ottoway Harrison Sr.

1932 - 2021

Harrison, Sr., Ottoway

August 2, 1932 - February 22, 2021

Ottoway Harrison, Sr., 88, of Baltimore, MD, passed away on February 22, 2021 at 9:01 am. Born in Roxboro, NC on August 2, 1932, he was the son of Leonard H. and Mezellie Harrison. Ottoway Harrison was 1 of 9 brothers and sisters. Ottoway came from humble beginnings. With only a third grade education he began helping the large family. Through this time education didn't stop, it had just begun. With the leadership of his father he learned valuable life lessons while working to help provide for the family, and his business skills were developing. With the help of his brothers and sisters he learned to read and write. As a teenager in Wilmington, NC he became a caddy and repaired stoves. After moving to Georgia he started pumping septic tanks with his father, and travelled with the family working on carnivals. In 1952 while in Winston-Salem, NC he met and married Elizabeth M. Harrison. In 1958 he started a paving company in Winston-Salem. They had 3 sons, Ottoway Harrison, Jr., husband of Eppie, Robert Harrison, husband of Linda, and Frank Harrison; 6 grandchildren, Liza Cooper, Robert Harrison, Jr., Joshua Harrison, Ruth Cooper, Billy Harrison, and Ottoway Harrison III; 15 great-grandchildren, Christian, Elisha, Jacob, Tammy, Lizzy, Ottoway IV, Victoria, Scarlette, William, Stella, Rowdy, Mariah, Richard, Scarlett Rose, and Billy Jr. Following a divorce from his wife of 16 years in 1968, Ottoway moved to Maryland and became one of the first licensed paving contractors, known as Ottoway Harrison Asphalt Driveways. With a successful business he became well known in the Baltimore community. In 1977 he met and began a relationship with Barbara Oppel. In the early 80's he joined a social dance club where he was invited to several locations to showcase his skills. Along with his gentleman charm and the warmth of his personality, Ottoway captivated the audience while performing the jive, shag, and swing dances. His hobbies were golf, quail hunting, and shooting pool. He was a loving family man who enjoyed life and lived it to the fullest. He was always well-dressed and never met a stranger. One of his favorite things was playing the lottery. For ten years he played on wishful thinking and dreams of winning. In 1993 Ottoway beat the odds of about 7 million to 1 to become the sole jackpot winner known as "Otto who hit the lotto." The jackpot winnings never changed his lifestyle. Continuing his paving business throughout the 90's he retired and gave ownership to his son, Ottoway Jr. while still overseeing. After retirement he loved spending time with his grandsons sharing his wisdom and knowledge to inspire their life, instilling morals and family traditions. On September 5th, 2014 Ottoway was inducted in the "Lets Dance Social Club Dancers Hall of Fame." He was grieved by the loss of his wife, sisters Ruth and Jetty, brothers Bobby, Leonard, Harry, and Peter, and sons Frank and Ottoway. He impacted many lives and left a legacy for his family to follow. He will truly be missed by his family, many cousins, nephews, nieces, and friends. He is survived by sister Betty, brother Benny, son Robert, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. Saturday, February 27 and Sunday, February 28, with service Monday morning at 9:30 a.m. at Salem Funeral and Cremations, 120 S Main St., Winston-Salem, NC. The service will be followed by interment at Oaklawn Cemetery, Charlotte. Condolences may be made online at www.salemfh.com.

Salem Funeral & Cremation Service

120 S. Main St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101