Rchard Otolski passed away at his home in Pleasanton, CA on Wednesday, August 31, 2022, at the age of 82.

The world is fortunate to have known a kind-hearted gentleman with a one-of-a-kind sense of humor and a true passion for baseball. He was always quick with a smile, a joke or a "Seinfeld" quote for any occasion... many of which were repeated often over the decades. He was the best father anyone could ever have. He had a strong work ethic, an appreciation for music and history, a talent for photography and a self-proclaimed knack for remembering trivial facts. He had soft spots in his heart for animals and children; many summers were spent entertaining the neighborhood kids in the backyard pool by pretending to be the "Water Monster" or coaching the infamous "Underwater Karate Team" (often acting like a kid, himself!).

His parents, Benedict Otolski and Valentine (Grabarek) Otolski welcomed Richard as their first child on January 16, 1940 in South Bend, IN. His younger brother, Bob, arrived two years later. Richard (also known to family and friends as Dick, Rick or "Wacky Uncle Dick") attended St. Stanislaus Catholic Church for elementary / middle school and graduated from Central High School in 1957. Among his favorite childhood memories were playing sports with his neighborhood friends, as well as going to Chicago with his parents and brother for theater performances or White Sox games at the old Comiskey Park.

He graduated from Ball State University in Muncie, IN in 1961. A member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, he also was very involved with student government and campus activities: 1960-61 President of the Student Executive Council (SEC), 1959-1960 Vice President and Public Relations Commissioner of the SEC, member of the Blue Key Men's Honorary and served as its treasurer his senior year. Among other activities early in his collegiate career, he played football his freshman year for the Ball State Cardinals.

Shortly after college, he was drafted into the United Stated Army, stationed at Ford Ord in Monterey, CA for basic training followed by an assignment in the Reserves.

He started his career with Proctor and Gamble, which gave him the opportunity to travel and explore much of the United States. He later exceled in sales as Bell & Howell's Chicago Area Regional Manager and later promoted to National Sales Manager of Canon Products in 1971. He joined Sherman Clay & Company in California in the mid-1970's, where he spent a majority of his career. Although he possessed limited piano playing skills, his sales and management acumen earned him many awards and accolades.

Living in Southern California in the mid-1960's he married Carol Wilkinson in 1965. They welcomed their only child, daughter Susan Lynn Otolski in 1966 in Long Beach, CA. They moved to Moraga, CA in 1972 and bought their first home in 1973, where they lived until the late 1990's. Richard took pride in his home and providing for his family, serving the community as a member of the Moraga Kiwanis Club, teaming-up with Carol for the Tuesday night "Spouse and Louse" husband-and-wife bowling league, and enjoying dozens (if not hundreds) of epic parties with their Moraga friends.

He moved to Pleasanton, CA in 1999, then "met his match" with girlfriend Mary Splane in 2005. Together, they enjoyed 17 years of happiness, laughter, Giants games, restaurants, concerts, theater, travel and family celebrations with her dog "Rocky", and Mary's children and their families - Mike Splane of San Francisco and Lake Tahoe, the Bongiorno Family of San Antonio, TX and the Weiss family of Dublin, CA.

His love of baseball spanned almost his entire life, which he passed along to his daughter Susan by taking her to Giants games, buying her hot dogs and teaching her to keep score during her youth... all of which led to her 25+ year career in professional baseball. Together, they enjoyed minor league games, Chicago Cubs games at Wrigley Field, and shared a lifetime of memories with the San Francisco Giants that included the 2007 MLB All-Star Game & Gala and the 2010, 2012, 2014 World Series Championship galas, games and parades. Although not much of an autograph-seeker, he enjoyed meeting and taking photos with baseball Hall-of-Famers, players, coaches and broadcasters.

Richard is survived by: His daughter, Susan Otolski of Foster City, CA; Nieces Laura Otolski (Jamie McCarthy), Kerry Otolski (TJ Shanoff) and their son, great-nephew Harrison of Evanston, IL; and Godson John Simpson of Oakland, CA.

A Celebration of Life will take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the Veterans of Foreign Wars (www.vfw.org) or the San Francisco Giants Community Fund's "Junior Giants" program (www.juniorgiants.org).

10/06/2022 JFC