Richard "Dick" Ottem

Richard “Dick” Kernan Ottem, 93, of Red Wing, Minnesota, died Friday, July 26, 2024 at Havenwood Assisted Living in Burnsville. He was born January 22, 1931, in Red Wing, to Alfred and Genevieve (Cunningham) Ottem. He graduated from Red Wing Central High School in 1949 and went on to attend St. Thomas University and graduated from the University of Minnesota, receiving a BA in Industrial Relations. Dick enlisted in the US Navy in 1951, serving a majority of his time in Washington DC as a cryptologist, and was honorably discharged in 1955. He began working for the State of Minnesota while living in St. Paul and then took a job with Eco Lab. He moved to Monroe, Wisconsin, where he worked for Swiss Colony. One of his final jobs was with Jet Propulsion Laboratories in Pasadena, California, where he helped recruit scientists for NASA, helping to find those that built the first Mars Rover. He also co-owned a professional fundraising firm in Wisconsin and had worked with Catholic Charities for over 55 years. A man of great faith, Dick attended many retreats at the Franciscan Retreat and Spirituality Center in Prior Lake as well as Lake Elmo Silent Catholic Retreats. Dick enjoyed golfing, reading, checking on the stock market, meeting his buddies at Randy’s for morning coffee and spending time with family. He had a keen interest in airplanes and flying/piloting small planes. He was a long-time Gopher football and basketball fan and was a football season ticket holder for many years. 

He is survived by nieces and nephews, Mike (Kari) Grubisch, Mary Sue “Susie” (Mark Vaughn) Grubisch, Kathy (Glenn) Theis, Jean (Allan) Minnerath, Joe (Beth) Grubisch and Christopher (Jessica) Ottem; 13 great nieces and nephews and 4 great-great nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Jane Grubisch; brother, Denny Ottem and brother-in-law, Bernie Grubisch.

Funeral Mass will be 11 a.m. Friday, August 16, 2024 at the Church of St. Joseph. Visitation will be for one hour prior to the service. Following the service, burial will take place at Fort Snelling National Cemetery at 1:30 p.m. meeting at Assembly Area 4. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Alzheimer’s Association or the Demontreville Jesuit Retreat House. A special thank you to the staff at Havenwood of Burnsville Memory Care and Brighton Hospice of MN for keeping him active, social and comfortable the last few years of his life. Arrangements handled by Mahn Family Funeral Home, Bodelson-Mahn Chapel.