Ocracoke Islander Otis Wayne Hurd, 70, died Dec. 18 in Cary.
He was the husband of Theresa (Bosse) Hurd of Ocracoke.
A celebration of his life will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday (Jan. 11) in St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Nags Head.
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, and after graduating high school, Otis joined the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam era. After serving four years in the armed services he went to the University of Baltimore where he graduated with a degree in accounting and met his wife, Theresa.
The couple moved to the Outer Banks in 1977 where Otis started an accounting firm with his business partner Biff Lang (Hurd and Lang, CPA). Otis worked as an accountant on the Outer Banks for over 35 years where he was a vibrant part of the local community.
He was the treasurer of the Ocracoke Preservation Society for the last several years having moved to Ocracoke more than two years ago.
Ken DeBarth, OPS president, said Otis was an asset to the organization, adroitly handling complex financial issues.
“He was a wonderful guy and is sorely missed,” DeBarth said.
Otis was known by all for his outgoing personality and being full of love and laughter. His passions in life included spending time with family/friends and fishing. He was an avid fisherman and all who knew Otis heard a fishing story or two. Many of these tales were related at the early morning coffee group which met daily at the Ocracoke Coffee Company and of which Otis was a gregarious member.
Joelle LeBlanc wrote this about Otis on the Ocracoke Coffee Company Facebook page: “Otis will be missed by the whole OCC staff for his witty remarks (or he thought they were witty!) and words of wisdom — always meant to help of course. He loved his family and couldn’t have been more proud of his children. He loved to share photos of his grandkids and couldn’t wait for them to get on the island to bring to the coffee shop. He adored his wife and never left the shop without her morning Yerba Mate (in fairness it had to be ice cold by the time he got all his chattiness out and left).”
In addition to his wife, he is survived by their four children, Rebecca Catherine Hurd, Tobin Wayne Hurd, Rachel Hurd Cutler, and Dr. Olivia Anne Hurd; and four grandchildren, Oliver Cutler, Finley Hurd, Otis Cutler and Bennett Hurd.
