Darlene A. "Dee" Ottery

Darlene A. “Dee” Ottery, of Fond du Lac, passed away Saturday, August 10, 2019, at Hospice Home of Hope in Fond du Lac. Dee was born on September 28, 1933 in Fond du Lac, the daughter of the late Hilarion W. and Annabelle M. (Waller) Bingen. Dee attended St. Mary’s Catholic School, then St. Mary’s Springs Academy where she graduated in 1951. Dee then attended St. Agnes Nursing School graduating with the Class of 1954 as a Registered Nurse in OR, then OBGYN at St. Agnes Hospital. On June 11, 1955, she married the love of her life, David J. “Dave” Ottery at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Fond du Lac, WI. Dee worked as an RN at St. Agnes until 1963.



In 1977, Dee opened her own business, extending her love of fashion with “My Favorite Things”. Starting with crafts and clothing, it evolved into a thriving women’s fashion store in downtown Fond du Lac until she closed in 2007.



Dee was an incredibly involved person in the Democratic Party, dating back to her overseeing the “John F. Kennedy for President” campaign in 1960. After meeting Senator Kennedy, his wife Jackie and brother Bobby, she was hooked on politics and continued to push for social justice in whatever manner she could. She worked with the Democratic Party for decades, even going door to door for the future President Obama.



Dee was also very active at St. Mary’s (now Holy Family) Church, including being a Eucharistic minister among other things. With her husband, she established a scholarship for the School of Nursing in their name at Marian College (now Marian University). Her favorite hobbies were spending time poolside with long-time friend Betty Beardsley daily at South Hills Golf and Country Club (the staff even placing “Reserved for” signs on their side-by-side lounge chairs), gardening and traveling and was a voracious reader. Dee also had journalistic writings published in Tribune Publishing media. Dee and Dave also were often co-chairs and committee members of the annual Marian College Dinner & Dance (with themes such as “Rhapsody in Blue” and “New York, New York”) that were held at the Retlaw Hotel.



Dee is survived by her daughter Angela (Tom) Doyle of Aurora, IL and her grandson Ian Doyle. She is further survived by her sister Mary Bingen of Fond du Lac, and many nieces, nephews and cousins. Dave passed away on July 20, 2008. She was further preceded in death by her parents, a brother-in-law, a nephew and many cousins, aunts and uncles.



Visitation for Darlene A. “Dee” Ottery will be on Friday, September 27, 2019, from 10:30-11:30 AM at Holy Family Church, 271 4th Street Way, Fond du Lac. Mass of Christian Burial will follow the visitation at 11:30 AM at the church. Cremation has taken place.



The family requests that memorials be directed to St. Mary’s Springs Academy, 255 County Road K, Fond du Lac 54935, or Marian University, 45 S. National Avenue, Fond du Lac 54935.



The family would like to thank Dee’s close friends and neighbors for their support during her illness. The family is also grateful to Hospice Home of Hope and its staff and volunteers for their incredible strength, spiritual aid, kindness and help.