Otis Huntington Willoughby

Born March 22, 1935, in Los Angeles, California, Otis Huntington Willoughby grew up in Oatman, Arizona. He enjoyed playing in abandoned mine shafts as a child and may have even lit a few sticks of dynamite. He later moved to Boulder City, Nevada where he attended high school. 

Otis met the petite and lively Zella Irene Smith on the steps of the Student Union Building at the University of Colorado on the first day of their freshman year in 1953.  The story is that Otis walked up to Zella and said, “Hi, I’m Oat.”  She wasn’t sure what that meant, but apparently was intrigued and they were married June 6, 1954. Their 68 years together were enjoyable and fulfilling, surrounded by many friends and loved ones.

After a few brief stints elsewhere, Otis and Zella settled in Boulder, Colorado, where they raised their three children Hunt, Laurel, and Heather. Many others joined the family and lived with the Willoughbys through the years, including a Hmong refugee, numerous foreign exchange students from across the globe, and most importantly, Hilary, a second cousin, who came for a two week vacation, ended up staying for three years, and is still a beloved member of the family.  Otis ensured the family spent many wondrous times together as they pursued his love of fishing, snow shoeing, and camping in the nearby Rocky Mountains, exploring the beauties of the Southwestern United States, and several adventurous trips to Mexico. Otis and Zella also relished other travel opportunities, including to Alaska, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.

While serving as a Navy Hospital Corpsman, Otis earned a degree in chemical engineering from CU. After graduation, he worked at Rocky Flats. He later established and owned several businesses, including OWL Technical, and finished his working career at Ball Metal Corporation; we all have him (and his colleagues) to thank for the more economical and efficiently shaped aluminum cans that are ubiquitous in the world today.  Due to this work and more, he has several patents in his name.  He was always a creative thinker and inventor and had the ability to fix almost everything.

In his free time, Otis enjoyed gardening and especially spending time in his garage filled with every imaginable tool (some of which he designed and made himself), particularly in order to restore 1920-30s era automobiles–always Fords!–including a Sport Coupe, two Model A pickup trucks, and a 1954 two-door sedan. He also found great satisfaction in doing genealogical research.  On several occasions he traveled to New England and the United Kingdom to seek out the records and ancestral homes of his relatives; no doubt he is enjoying a pleasant reunion with them now, especially the three previous generations of Otis H. Willoughbys and his mother Agnes.

Otis and Zella lived in Boulder for 40 years, followed by Castle Valley, Utah for 5 years, and their most recent home was in Cedaredge, Colorado. They delighted in their abode with its beautiful, serene setting, including a creek running through the back yard, and the opportunity to make lasting friendships. 

One such friend sublimely summed up the life of Otis as follows: “His smile and thoughtful wise words were a gift and helpful to many along with his quiet intelligence and humility. He was an example of a true disciple of Jesus Christ.  Otis was an exceptional man of quiet greatness. The world has lost a valiant defender of truth and understanding.”

Although Otis, with his witty sense of humor and mastery of pun-filled story-telling, will be greatly missed by all who know and love him, he lived a productive, service-oriented life that will be perpetuated by the recipients of his generosity. Based on his faith in eternal families and the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, Otis was ready to depart this frail mortal existence and passed away peacefully in his sleep on March 27, 2022, five days after his 87th birthday. 

Otis is survived by his wife, Zella, children Hunt (Aniva) of Alpine, UT, Laurel Oaks (Bart) of Parker, CO, Heather of Seoul, Korea, and Hilary Walton-Borison (Adam) of Redwood City, CA.  He has nine grandchildren and two great grandchildren.  His younger brother, Richard (Sandy) of Le Grande, OR, sister Margaret Ann Willoughby-Harbin of Tempe, AZ and brother-in-law Jerry (Karen) Smith of Pinetop, AZ are also living.

Everyone is welcome to add stories and photos of Otis (and family) to the following Dropbox website, which will be compiled into a memorial video: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/08oqaijagzjbptz/AAC8vwkfvZnU91_M9UpvB5AYa?dl=0  

A funeral service will be held for Otis on Friday, April 22, 11:00am, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 4655 Table Mesa Drive, Boulder, Colorado, followed by the interment at Green Mountain Cemetery.

For those unable to join the service in person, it can be view on Zoom via the following link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82099436329?pwd=bG9hc0N0Y0trS2VkMjlMWmp4ZTFaUT09

Meeting ID: 820 9943 6329

Passcode: Otis