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Otwell, Harold E.

May 30, 1933 –
 June 4, 2015

Obituary

Harold E. Otwell peacefully passed from this life June 4, 2015 in Plano, Texas following an extended illness at the age of 82.  Born in Jasper, Alabama on May 30, 1933, he was the son of the late Ershel C. Otwell and the late Mary Louise Barton Otwell Powell, both of Jasper. He served 2 separate tours of active duty with the United States Air Force: the first during the Korean War stationed in Germany as part of the 1st Pilotless Bomber Squadron, and the second ending in San Antonio, Texas where he served as a jet engine mechanic.  During his enlistment, he was awarded a National Defense Medal, Army Occupation Medal (Germany), 2 Good Conduct Medals, and an Air Force Longevity Service Award. In 1956, he met Mary Ann McGhee in Daytona Beach, Florida while he was stationed there and she was on vacation.  It was love at first sight.  They were married July 6, 1957, and they remained best friends and lovers for 38 years until her passing in 1994. After being Honorably Discharged from the Air Force in 1962, he was hired by Western Electric Company as a telephone lineman, and stayed with what would become AT&T as a project manager in a career that spanned nearly 30 years.   He retired from AT&T in 1989, and he and Mary Ann built their retirement home in Readyville, Tennessee.  Harold was a dedicated, responsible man who went out of his way to fulfill his commitments, both professional and personal.  Within the family, having a similar attitude toward life is referred to as “doing The Harold”. Harold will be forever remembered as an active, adventurous man with a love of nature and family.  He was a friendly, funny man who enjoyed camping, fishing, canoeing and rafting.  He also loved games such as pitching horseshoes, billiards, pinochle, Yahtzee, Risk, UNO and assorted card and board games.  Many enjoyable evenings were spent with friends and family in friendly competition. While raising his family in Marietta, Georgia from 1964 – 1989, he resided in Birchwood Park, where his home was a second home to neighbors and friends, especially the friends of his two children, Donna and Brad. Harold will be remembered by many for his long service to the Boy Scouts of America, first as a Scoutmaster for Troop 573, and later as a District Commissioner with the Atlanta Area Council.  He shared his love of the outdoors and fishing with hundreds of young men, helping them to achieve their life goals by example rather than just words. He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law Donna and Justin White of Frisco, Texas, his son Brad Otwell of Frisco, Texas, and 2 grandchildren, Cady Otwell and Jesse Otwell of Plano, Texas, A graveside memorial service for Harold will be held at 11am, Thursday June 18, 2015 at Walker Memorial Gardens, 692 Highway 5 in Jasper, Alabama.   Floral tributes may be sent directly to the cemetery, but in lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donation to the charity of one’s choice. Arrangements are under the direction of ARIA Cremation Service and Funeral Home 19310 Preston Road Dallas, Texas 75252 214-306-6700  

    Mickey
    16 Jun 2015
    6:14pm

    I have good memories of Harold and the Otwell clan, but the one I tell the most is about canoeing the Okefenokee Swamp. Harold, Brad and others were on the trip. Brad and I swamped our canoe. It’s always worth a laugh.

    Brenda Otwell McAdams and Georgia Otwell
    22 Jun 2015
    1:40pm

    Sending sympathy to the family. So sorry to hear of Harold’s passing.

    Doris M. Cain and daughter Melissa R. Hanes
    22 Jun 2015
    3:06pm

    As a sister-in-law and niece to Harold’s father Erschel, it was our pleasure to meet and speak with Harold during his stay in Jasper, Alabama. We extend our deepest sympathies to the family during this difficult time.

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"I was amazed how professional the team at Aria Funeral Preston Dallas Texas are. They guided me through the process and my options of their services that they offered for my mother. They are compassionate, caring, calm, good listener, efficient and did an excellent job! Thank you!"
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"Nothing prepares you for the grief you go through when losing a child. I called this funeral home at 2:00 am broken and could barely talk. The amount of compassion and empathy they showed me immediately let me know I found the right place to cremate my son. I cannot thank them enough for their professionalism, SINCERE concern, and commitment to making sure my son was honored in the most respectful way. I hope this Funeral home values her as much as my family and I do."
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"Wayne and Staff, thank you for taking care of the arrangements for our mom, Exter McGee and our dad, Philip McGee. You have been great to work with during such a difficult time."
Elledge Family
Elledge Family
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"On behalf of my family, I wanted you to know how much we appreciate your handling of my husband's final arrangements. Wayne Baxter assisted & guided us through the entire process with such care & compassion. Don't know what we would have done without him! Sincerely, Colleen Elledge"
The Peterson Family
The Peterson FamilyYelp! Review - Northwest Highway 5-Stars
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"I can’t say enough about how helpful and professional Dusty Martin, the funeral director at the Aria Cremation location on NW Highway has been. From my initial call, he was kind and informative. My friend died at home while on hospice and she was picked up in about an hour after receiving the call from the hospice nurse. The person who arrived to pick her up was also very professional/respectful and allowed us to take as much time with her as we wished. When I met with Dusty the next day about arrangements, he explained the process and options available without being pushy or trying to “sell” extras. Throughout the process, he kept me informed and, for example, was careful to be certain I understood the cost of the obituary I wanted and offered some options for reducing that cost if I wished. When I stopped by for another reason and started talking about some of the problems I was having with the pictures and media I hoped to use at a memorial lunch I was planning, he not only listened patiently but offered technology advice and let me use his personal media player. I have had experience arranging cremations for four others using two other local companies, and this experience with Dusty at Aria has been by far the best one I have had."
Paula Barnes
Paula BarnesGoogle Review
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"My Daddy’s service and our family experience at Aria Northwest Highway was truly blessed. Funeral Director Dustin Martin is the kind of person that you would like to see on a more regular basis – but in his industry – you hope to not see him that often. That being said – THANK YOU DUSTIN for your unending kindness, compassion and friendship through the process. Meeting you and discussing Dallas History, Find A Grave and my Dad’s lifelong contributions to the great City of Dallas was simply wonderful! In memory of my dad James A. Dodd, Sr. – I want to personally thank you and let you know that you made everything better in that moment. Your calling to “Be There” is spot on. Aria has a one in a million guy in you! Bling Blinky of TEXAS Shout Out: God Bless You!!"
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