The Passing Of Terry Ott

We wanted to share the sad news of the passing of a special friend and active past member of the Greater Fort Lauderdale tourism community and of the South Florida Chapter of HSMAI. Terry Ott died on November 11, 2009 in Mississippi.

Terry lived in the Fort Lauderdale, FL areas for many years where he was employed for 32 years in the airline industry. He retired from the Sales and Marketing Department of Northwest Airlines. He and his wife Charlene Marks Ott (who had worked in the hotel industry here in Fort Lauderdale) moved to Oxford, MS in 2003 for their retirement. I recently came across an old picture of Terry and Charlene and I at a state HSMAI Conference in the mid 1980’s.

Terry had a lifelong interest in tourism. Even after his “retirement” he served as the VP of the Newcomer’s Club, was active in the Oxford Tourism Council, Cedar Oaks Historic Home, and others. He wrote a column for the local paper, the Oxford Eagle, where he wrote the travel and “generations” columns. He and his wife received the Oxford-Lafayette Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Service Award this past June 2009.

Memorials may be made to: the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council, 412 South 14th Street, Oxford, MS 38655 or to the Cedar Oaks Historic Home, 601 Murray St, Oxford, MS 38655.

Thank you to Linda Sue Marsh and Susan Stern, among others, for passing along the obituary information. Terry will be missed by a multitude of special friends. Julie Wernick, HSMAInsider.