Friday, February 20, 1998

Memorial service for 'George' H. Otto, M.D.

DOWNEY—A memorial celebration of the life of Juergen "George" H. Otto, M.D. a longtime resident of Downey and a former Board Certified Family Physician here, was held Feb. 14, at Monarch Summit II Clubhouse in La- guna Niguel.
He was 77, born July 11, 1920 in Berlin, Germany, and died Feb. 6. He earned his baccalaureate and medical degree in Germany, graduating Summa Cum Laude in 1948 after an interruption in his education forced by World War II. During the war he served in the medical corps under General Rommel, earning the Iron Cross for bravery, while recovering much needed medical supplies from behind enemy lines.
He was captured by the English and sent to the United States as a POW. He returned to Germany in 1946 and married Irmgard Oberst, immigrat- ing to the U.S. with her in 1950.
He was a Board Certified Family Physician in Downey, and was on the staff of Downey Community Hospital and St. Francis Hospital. He was ap-
pointed a Clinical Associate Professor at UC-Irvine, and taught at the Long Beach Memorial Family Practice Residency. He served as Chairman of the Health Committee for the South East District of Los Angeles County, orga-
nizing the Sabin Polio Vaccination program. He served as a delegate of the Los Angeles County Medical Association and was Commissioner for the Board of Medical Quality Assurance.
Survivors include his wife of 51 years, Irmgard Otto of Laguna Niguel; his sisters, Gisela Best and Almuth Hoehnscheid; his children, Rainer Otto of Lomita, Patti Francis, M.D., of Moraga, Frank Otto, M.D., of Spokane, Washington; and his grandchildren, Corrie and Erica Francis, and Amy, Elsbeth and Elise Otto. The family suggests memorial gifts to the American Heart Association, P.O. Box 6046, Irvine, CA 92612.