Billy Joe Otts

Billy Joe Otts, husband, father, and grandfather, died peacefully at home Sunday, November 27th at the age of 82. Born to Earline (Cribbs) and Persie Paul Otts, in 1940 and raised in Sulligent, Alabama, Billy joined the military at the age of 18. While stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington, he met Lee Ann, the love of his life. They married in 1961 and returned to the Augusta area where Billy attended Augusta Technical School on the GI Bill. He firmly believed education was the path to success and spent his life encouraging others to seek out and take advantage of educational opportunities. In addition to classes in mechanical repair, he learned television and radio (electronics) repair, a skill set that allowed him to have a TV and stereo repair business on the side for many years. Later, he also became an electrician, the combination of skills enabled him to work at Fort Gordon on the Civil Service Contract until his retirement in 2002. Some of the things Billy loved to do included tinkering in the garage, working on some piece of equipment or other, coaching baseball, watching old movies and especially old western TV series, and playing with his kids, grandkids, or great grandkids. He was a southern boy at his core and loved black-eyed peas with cornbread and buttermilk with chopped onion. He was also an avid advocate for young people and was a founding member of the Hephzibah Area Junior Athletic League (HAJAL), an organization committed to providing structured athletic opportunities for local youth. Billy is preceded in death by his parents and only sibling, Pauline Hancock, his sons Paul and Glenn Otts, and granddaughter, Joanna Kraft. He is survived by his wife Lee Ann, his children Katherine Kraft and Joe Otts (Gretchen), grandchildren Jeffrey Kraft (Emily), Auna Leatham (Chris), Alicia Betancourt (Mike), and Christopher Otts (Kati). The family will receive visitors on Thursday, December 1rst from noon to 1pm at Chance & Hydrick, 2502 Richmond Hill Road, Augusta, GA. Pastor Patrick Latta will officiate the funeral service immediately following visitation in the chapel at Chance & Hydrick beginning around 1pm. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Billy's honor to the American Heart Association (heart.org), the Alzheimer's Association (alz.org), or alternatively, please consider planting a tree in his memory. The family would like to express our sincerest gratitude to Billy's nurse, Latasha Smith, and to Southeast Hospice of Augusta for the care provided and support of our family through this difficult time. Chance and Hydrick Funeral Directors, 2502 Richmond Hill Rd., Augusta, GA 30906

Billy Joe Otts

November 28, 2022