Otto Charles Doelling

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Otto Doelling. Otto, who was 89, quietly passed away Friday evening at Shangrila Home Care, in Lynnwood, Washington. He is survived by his wife, Ingrid Doelling, aged 87, and two children Christine and Marco, aged 57 and 55 respectively.

While we mourn Otto's passing we also wish to remember the man he was and the indelible impact he had on other people's lives.

Otto was born on Dec. 22, 1933, in the Bronx, New York, during the height of the Depression. He was the son of German immigrants, Otto and Bertha, née Kraemer. He had two sisters, Lydia and Betty, both sadly also now deceased. He joined the ROTC while enrolled at City College, N.Y., and enlisted in the army as an officer in 1955. As fortune would have it, he missed the Korean War by two years. He ended up being stationed in Gelnhausen, Germany, near Frankfurt-am-Main. During this time he met Ingrid, his future wife. Otto returned to the U.S. to complete his formal education at Columbia University where he would earn his Masters in Journalism. After a brief stint as a reporter at the Gainesville Sun in Florida, he was able to find a position at the U.S. Army Times. Having earned his wings as a reporter, Otto returned to Germany for work and to marry Ingrid.

It was either due to ambition or longing that Otto and Ingrid decided to return to the U.S. in the early 1960s. Otto went on the work at the Associated Press for the first time both in Syracuse and Albany, New York.

By the mid-1960s, Otto and Ingrid would find themselves back in Germany. Otto had by then established himself as a well-respected news correspondent at the Associated Press, first in Frankfurt and then in Bonn. He would go on to report on constantly changing events in Europe, including The Cold War, the fall of dictators, the Olympics, and terrorism. In 1977, Otto was appointed AP bureau chief, first in Cairo, Egypt, and then in Nicosia, Cyprus. Otto would cover the turmoil in the Middle East including the Lebanese Civil War and the return of the Ayatollah to Iran after years in exile. His assignments were often wrought with danger, but it was perhaps because of his quiet demeanor or charm that he was able to stay out of harm's way.

Otto, feeling homesick, decided to return to the US with his family in 1980. There they settled in the small borough of Fanwood, New Jersey. Otto continued working for the AP, first as a correspondent at the United Nations and ultimately as an executive manager in World Services. He retired at the age of 70, in 2004. He and his wife decided to move to Washington State to live out their final years and to be closer to their children who live in the Seattle area.

Those who knew Otto saw him as someone they could rely on and trust no matter the circumstance. He was a man of innumerable talents, a kind father, a loving husband, a generous friend, an incredible artist, and, not least, a gifted editor, writer, and reporter. Otto also possessed a delightful sense of humor, a penchant for entertaining others, and an amazing grasp of history, literature, and classical music. He was a real Renaissance man.

Otto will forever rest in our hearts and be in our thoughts.

-- Ingrid, Christine, Marco and Fatoumata