Albert Joseph Otto
Com. Albert Joseph Otto (1924-2009) was commended 1952 by Believers Chapel (aka Wheatland Bible Chapel) in Dallas, Texas. He was the first military chaplain to be recognized by the U.S. government as commended from the Brethren specifically.
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Family
He was born in Comstock Twp., Kalamazoo, Michigan on Jan. 13, 1924, a son of William Henry Otto (b. 1898 Otsego, MI - d. 1980 Asheville, Buncombe, NC) & Gladys Opal Kelley Otto (b. 1902 Hickory Corners, Barry, MI - d. 1982 Asheville, NC). William's memorial was officiated by Bert Councell & Don Moore. He was raised in Kalamazoo, and by 1935 in St. Petersburg, Florida. Al had three siblings:
- Evelyn Leah Otto Buchanan (b. 1927 Comstock Twp., MI - d. 2003 Lawrenceville, IL). Husband (1954 @ Waynesville, NC): Rowland G. Buchanan, son of Ralph E. Buchanan & Gertrude B. Buchanan of Lawrenceville, IL. Mike Otto and Jim Hayhoe officiated Evelyn's memorial. She and Rowland were members of the TW-exclusive Lawrenceville Meeting Room.
- Charles "Chuck" Wesley Otto (b. 1926 Comstock Twp., MI - d. 2015 FL). Wife (1946 @ St. Petersburg, FL): Anita Ruth Cooper Otto, daughter of Edward Cooper. They were married at Central Presby. in St. Pete., officiated by founding pastor Edward R. Barnard. Chuck was in high school when called into service for the U.S. Army during WWII, serving with the 69th Div. in the ETO, and was wounded there. He received the Good Conduct ribbon, the ETO ribbon with two battle stars, and the Combat Infantry badge. He was honorably discharged in 1946.
- Abraham Franklin Otto (b. 1946 St. Petersburg, FL). Wife (1970 @ Polk Co., FL): Teresa Louise Wilbanks Otto (1948-2008 Lakeland, Polk, FL), daughter of James Leon Wilbanks (b. 1919 Neman, Elmore, AL - d. 1988 Lakeland, FL) & Mildred Evelyn Bean Wilbanks (b. 1921 Chattanooga, TN - d. 1990 Lakeland, FL).
Education
He graduated from Emory University with a B.S., Dallas Theological Seminary with a Masters in Theology, Hofstra University with a Masters in Biology, and from Pepperdine University with a M.A. in Human Resource Management. He also studied for a Ph.D. from Dropsie College for Hebrew and Cognate Learning.
Assemblies
Al was raised among the TW exclusives, and left sometime prior to being commended by Believers Chapel in Dallas, which is an open assembly.
Marriage and Family
Al's wife was Elizabeth "Pat" Colgan Otto (b. 1923 Indianapolis, IN - d. 2017 Canton, Haywood, NC), daughter of Robert Thomas Colgan (b. 1895 Cape Castle, Co. Antrim, N.I. - d. 1980 Miami, Dade, FL) & Isabel Monaghan Colgan (b. 1898 Kircubbin, Co. Down, N.I. - d. 1964 Miami, FL).
Al & Pat have one daughter, Mary K. Otto Selzer of Cullowhee, NC who is a life coach with CoachingForward.net, and hosts A Weekly Quest, a bible study blog on Facebook. Mary has written several devotionals, including:
- The 1-Minute Bible Guide, Barbour, 2020.
- 25 Questions God Asked, Barbour, 2016.
- Wait A Minute!, CreateSpace, 2015.
Military
Al's father, William Henry Otto, was a veteran of WWI, and retired from the U.S. Navy. As per his obit, Al served during WWII with the USMC as Sergeant in the telephone corps with long-rang artillery units in the Pacific theater. In Sept. 1953 he joined the Navy as the first PB chaplain, and retired as a Commander on June 30, 1980. His final shipboard assignment was on the USS Saratoga.
In +1974-1977+, Al was stationed at the U.S. Naval Support Activity (Navy Yard Brig) at 136 Flushing Ave., Brooklyn, NY which in 1984 was repurposed by INS and by 1984, a minimum security prison. In late 2001, that location was used as a temporary dorm space for World Trade Center rescue workers, and demolished in 2005. See LTVSquad for a brief history of the location. By 1979, Al had been assigned to the Beaufort Naval Hospital in South Carolina.
Later Life
After a medically-induced retirement in 1980, Com. Otto resided in Wheaton, IL, Keystone Heights, FL and Maggie Valley, NC.
He was promoted to glory on May 22, 2009 in Canton, Haywood, NC. His memorial was officiated by Clayton Davis at Waynesville Christian Fellowship in Waynesville, NC and the graveside by Mike Otto, founding pastor of Countryside Community Church, an independent in Newtown, Pennsylvania, with military rites from the Navy. Memorials were suggested to the Gideons.