Earl Russell Ottey Jr.

SALISBURY— Earl Russell Ottey Jr. of North Falmouth, Mass., died July 19, 2010, ending a battle with cancer.

Known as Russ, he was born in Quincy, Ill., in 1932 to Mary (Miller) and Earl Russell Ottey  Sr., who were longtime residents of Noble Horizons.

After attending schools in the Lakeville area, Russ enlisted in the Air Force, where he served as a career flight engineer.

He was married to Joyce (Aakjar) of Sharon, who died in 1967 along with their son, Timothy.

Russ is survived by his son, Earl Russell Ottey III and his wife, Joyce, and their two children, Jeffrey and Tracy Ottey, all of Santa Clara, Calif.; his sister, Marcia Raushenbush of Cincinnati, Ohio; and his brother, Mark Ottey of Kalispell, Mont.; and many nieces and nephews.

His many friends will remember him not only as one who loved conversation with everyone he met, but for his dedication to preserving and enjoying the outdoors.

He was a Boy Scout leader and a founder of Troop 38 in North Falmouth; a former president of the Southeast Massachusetts Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club; a supporter of the Plymouth County Woodlands Trust, the Bourne Conservation Trust and the 300 Committee of Falmouth, as well as the Green Mountain Club and the Appalachian Conservancy.

He hiked the 2,175 miles of the Appalachian Trail, sailed his boat, Winter Dream, solo from Buzzards Bay to Florida, canoed rivers in New England and Canada, rafted in Nepal and hiked in Asia and the British Isles.

A celebration of his life was held Aug. 29 in Pocasset, Mass. Memorial donations in his honor may be made to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, PO Box 807, Harpers Ferry, WV 25425-9988.

Latest News

Tuning up two passions under one roof

The Webb Family in the workshop. From left: Phyllis, Dale, Ben and Josh Webb, and project manager Hannah Schiffer.

Natalia Zukerman

Magic Fluke Ukulele Shop and True Wheels Bicycle Shop are not only under the same roof in a beautiful solar powered building on Route 7 in Sheffield, but they are also both run by the Webb family, telling a tale of familial passion, innovation and a steadfast commitment to sustainability.

In the late ‘90s, Dale Webb was working in engineering and product design at a corporate job. “I took up instrument manufacturing as a fun challenge,” said Dale. After an exhibit at The National Association of Music Merchants in Anaheim, California, in 1999, The Magic Fluke company was born. “We were casting finger boards and gluing these things together in our basement in New Hartford and it just took off,” Dale explained. “It was really a wild ride, it kind of had a life of its own.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Robert Cray’s soulful blues coming to Infinity Hall

Robert Cray

Photo provided

Blues legend Robert Cray will be bringing his stinging, funky guitar and soulful singing to Infinity Hall Norfolk on Friday, March 29.

A five-time Grammy winner, Cray has been inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame and earned The Americana Music Awards Lifetime Achievement for Performance. He has played with blues and rock icons including Albert Collins, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, The Rolling Stones, Tina Turner, Eric Clapton and many more.

Keep ReadingShow less