William Ottenad

William (Bill) Ottenad, 98, passed peacefully on October 25, 2025, in St. Louis County. A husband, father, grandfather and great friend, Bill was born in St. Louis, MO, in 1927 to William E. Ottenad and Sophie Ottenad. He attended Hadley Technical High School where he was voted President of the Senior Class. Bill then enlisted in the US Navy toward the end of WWII. After being honorably discharged from the service, he attended Washington University on the GI Bill, were he majored in accounting, and later taught accounting. As a young CPA, Bill worked several years for national accounting firm Price Waterhouse before he started his own CPA practice.

In 1949 Bill met Dolores Abel while visiting his mother at the hospital, where Dolores was his mother’s nurse. They married in 1954. Hobbies included traveling, operas, and sitting outside bird watching in their forested backyard. They were members of the World Bird Society, where they actively supported habitat conservation. Bill & Dolores traveled the world during the 1980s through the early 2000s, often visiting the Caribbean, Europe and even went to Russia 4 times. In later years, Bill and Dolores loved going to shows at the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis with friends. Bill passed 3-1/2 days after his wife of 71 years passed away, and is survived his son Mark, daughter Pamela, and four grandchildren.

Contributions can be made in their honor to The World Bird Sanctuary or the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. To share a memory of Bill or leave a special message for his family, please visit the guestbook below.