Bilitz, Otto Arthur

Otto Arthur Bilitz, 76 years old, passed away on September 13, 2021.   He leaves behind his loving wife of 54 years, Joy Bilitz, their three children Mickey Kaiser, Eric Bilitz and Noel Schaefers, and their four amazing grandchildren Neil Kaiser, Vince Kaiser, Sammi Bilitz, and Joe Bilitz.

Otto grew up in Morris Hills, New Jersey.   He was introduced to Joy in 1964 by his best friend and Joy’s cousin and they married August 5, 1967. The couple moved St. Louis, Missouri where Otto began his career at Singer Sewing Machines.   Otto’s advancement would cause him and Joy to move 7 times in their first 11 years of marriage before raising their children in Indianapolis, Indiana for 15 years, and finally settling in Flower Mound, Texas for the last 28 years of his life.

Otto excelled in the sewing industry due to his work ethic and unparalleled technical knowledge.   He retired from Mitsubishi Electric in 2011 after a 47-year career filled with sales records and other professional achievements.  After his retirement, he maintained friendships with many of his colleagues and visited his former office frequently.

Otto had an unparalleled ability to fix anything mechanical, particularly if he had a 7/16 wrench and a roll of duct-tape.  His technical know-how was not limited to his professional life; he once revived a family lawn mower with iv tubing and pantyhose.  His mechanical acumen skipped a generation but thrives in his grandsons.

Otto enjoyed crafts his whole life dabbling in woodworking and crocheting but his creative passions flourished when he started making stained glass in 1997.  He was quickly hooked and converted half their garage into makeshift studio. For many years he perfected his craft, developed friendships with other glass artists, and advanced into hot glass and sandblasting. His skills developed so much that he and Joy sold his artwork at local craft fairs, and he made all of the centerpieces for his daughter Noel’s wedding.

Even more than his mechanical skills & creativity, Otto was known for his quick wit.  For 76 years, Otto made friends and strangers chuckle (or more frequently groan) with a good pun like “buy an adding machine, it is the only thing that counts”.  His love of dad jokes was passed on to his son and grandsons.

Joy was his greatest happiness and the love of his life.  He loved being with her whether jumping the waves in the Atlantic Ocean or sitting outside Esparza’s in Grapevine, Texas, while Joy sipped a frozen margarita.  Otto was an adoring father and grandfather who enjoyed spending time with his family, whether he was teaching Mickey to waterski on Tablerock Lake, learning to scuba dive with Eric, building an electrostatic generator with Noel for her science fair project, teaching Neil or Vince how to fish at local ponds, having Joe teach him how to use a new iPhone, or recently celebrating Sammi’s 21^st birthday in Las Vegas. He frequently said he was so blessed to have his wife and his family.

A funeral mass to celebrate Otto’s life will be held at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 861 Wildwood Lane in Grapevine, Texas at 10:00 AM on Saturday, October 16, 2021.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to Catholic Charities Fort Worth, P.O. Box 15610 Fort Worth, Texas 76119 or online at https://catholiccharitiesfortworth.org/get-involved/donate/

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