last night my good friend, Otto Rice passed away. They think he had a massive heart attack.
Otto was a great man. He dedicated his life to the field of parks and recreation... Otto and I worked together when I was at East Alton for all of the years. When all the things in East Alton were really getting me down, it was Otto who assured me it was okay to walk away that I could find another job doing what I loved.
We stayed in touch...though not nearly as much as what I wish we would have. I visited him recently and introduced him to Brookie. He loved her and she loved him...they played together at the Round House. On that day, Otto was smiling as much as he ever did, just like in the picture above. What stands out in my mind the most though is that when I walked in, he greeted me with a great big hug and his famous words.... "What's Shakin'"
Like every0ne who knew and loved Otto, I think I am just a bit shocked right now.
If you want to read more about Otto's life and legacy, you can read it on:
The girlies are doing great. Suzanna is definitely acting like a 5th grader these days... a bit sassy but sweet as ever. Brookie...well..she's wild and crazy and sweet as ever, too. I need to take a copule of recent pictures of Suzanna to post, but for now here's one that I really like of me and Brooke.
