I was the one who twisted his arm to join us on the Pizza Cruise. My wifs Susan and I kept an eye on him to make sure he was never left alone very long. BOY! Did we have him pegged wrong! He was never alone, what an outgoing guy he was. Find a group of people, and Otis was right in the middle of them. He never missed any activities on ship either. What a guy! The only sad part was that it was his only and last cruise, as he passed away the following summer. Each year Otis and I would get together at the Pizza Expo, he would attend my classes, and then we would get together at the Beer & Bull to talk shop until the cleaning crew chased us out. I think Otis was the very first person here at the Think Tank that I taught bakers precent to. Once he learned it, he was always helping others to understand it. This was so very typical for Otis, learn something, then share it with others to help them. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, we all miss his genuine smile and warm friendship. He was just one of those kinda guys. I’m all for keeping his memory with us through some type of special recognition.
How about an annual award given to a deserving person in our industry “The Otis”, sorta like the “Tony” Award.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor
