Mary Ann Ott

We are incredibly grateful for the life of our mother, Mary Ann Ott, who passed away peacefully from congestive heart failure on December 9, 2024, at Covenant Village in Westminster, CO, embraced by the love of family.

Mary Ann was born on October 19, 1930, in the rolling Berkshire Hills and enjoyed an outdoor childhood in Longmeadow, MA. The Great Depression and World War II marked her first fifteen years. She studied at Mount Holyoke College from 1948-1949, where she made lifelong friends. She earned her BS in Biology from American International College in 1952 and found employment as a medical secretary. She married her first husband, Bill Rawlings, and in the fall, the couple moved to Ames, Iowa, where Bill finished his BS in Wildlife Biology. They moved to Durham, New Hampshire, where Bill earned a Master's degree in 1956. That summer, the family, three kids by then, moved to Delta, CO, where Bill gained employment with the USFS on the Umcompahgre Plateau. Three years later, the family suffered a tragic loss. Bill Rawlings was killed in a line-of-duty horse accident in the Dolores River Valley.

Pregnant with her fifth child, Mary Ann returned to New England intending to earn a teaching certificate. She married Jack Herman Ott on Christmas Eve, 1959, and returned to Colorado. Together, they finished building Jack's house and began reclaiming an old homestead on Mancos Hill. They raised seven children, instilling a deep love for the natural history of the mountains and deserts and teaching us essential life skills.

Mary Ann was a vibrant part of her community. She founded a children's swimming program in Towaoc and devoted 65 years to the Mancos Methodist Church. Mary Ann was also active with the local PEO chapter for 60 years and strongly supported the Mancos Public School System, Scouting Programs, and 4-H. She was inducted into the Boone and Crockett Club for taking one of the largest bucks in Colorado history in 1968. She led the Mancos Centennial Quilt Project in 1989.

After Jack’s passing in 2014, Mary Ann remained active in the Mancos and Hilo, HI communities. In January 2021, she moved to Covenant Living in Westminster, where she embraced new friendships and engaged in cultural activities.

Mary Ann was a lifelong learner and writer who most recently contributed to the anthology Reading Colorado: A Literary Road Guide.

She was preceded in death by her son, our brother, John, and her beloved husbands, Bill Rawlings and Jack Ott. She leaves behind her cherished family: her children's seven thriving families, fifteen grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

We held a candlelit bedside service for her on the evening of December 9, 2024. We invite the public to a memorial at 2:00 p.m. on December 20, 2024, at Smith Chapel, Covenant Living, 9153 Yarrow St, Westminster, CO. We’ll also host a service in May 2025 at the Mancos United Methodist Church, with details to come.

Instead of flowers, we invite you to honor Mary Ann by donating in her name to https://mancosumc.org/, https://nestcac.org/, or an animal shelter of your choice. Thank you for joining us in remembering our beloved mother! Please sign our guest book and share your memories below.

12/20/24 Memorial 2:00

Smith Hall, Covenant Living Colorado

9153 Yarrow Westminster, CO 80021

Pyre Prayer Circle

Remote

Time and Date TBD

Mancos Memorial

Mancos United Methodist Church

May 2025

Time and Date TBD

Final imperative: "Love, love, love!"

Final sentence: "I feel like I'm waking up."

Final book: Thomas Hardy's, "Return of the Native."

Final song: "Be Thou My Vision."

Final words: "Thank you."