Gwendolyn R. Ott

Gwendolyn (Rogers) Ott, age 93, passed on November 14, 2014. Gwen was born on March 16, 1921, and lived on Sterner St. in North Philadelphia with her parents, John and Emiline Rogers, and brothers, James and Franklin. Nicknamed "Babe" after famous athlete Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Gwen graduated with an R.N. in nursing from Episcopal Hospital on Lehigh Ave. Married in 1941 to William W. Ott until his death in 2002, she was the mother of 5 children, William (Mary) of Gaithersburg MD, Carol (John Acocks) of Shelton WA, John of Forest Grove, Oregon, and Nancy of Deptford NJ. She also adopted and raised her niece, Barbara/Lana Ott (dec). Gwen lived with her family on Tackawanna St. in NE Phila. until moving to Marlton, New Jersey in 1968; also lived in Mantua, NJ and most recently with daughter, Nancy, in Deptford, NJ. She worked as a nurse at the Metropolitan Hospital and in the office of Dr. Milton Blumenthal in N. Phila; as a buyer at John Wanamaker's; for six years she and her husband worked together on a diner business that they established in NE Philadelphia; also worked as a division manager at Insurance Company of North America, now CIGNA, for more than 20 years. Always active, she was very athletic, enjoying basketball as a youth and swimming and hiking as an adult. She marched in many local Philadelphia parades, lighting the fire baton for her then pre-teen daughter, Nancy. She enjoyed gardening and playing gin rummy and pinochle with her lady friends right into her 90s. She was a lector at St. Joan of Arc Church and a volunteer crossing guard in Marlton, NJ. Mostly she enjoyed being with her children and grandchildren and dining on her deck with her beloved daughter, Nancy. Family was #1 in her life. She is survived by her 4 children, 11 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, brother Franklin (Gloria), and her dog, Jenny.
Memorial contributions may be made in Gwen's memory to the Camden County Animal Shelter 125 County House Rd, Sewell, NJ 08080 or ccasnj.org

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