Othar Thomas Hurst, military veteran
Othar Thomas Hurst, 85, was born April 4, 1930, in Georgetown, to the late Della Mae (Williams) and Othar Thomas Hurst Sr. He died Friday, May 29, 2015.
“Okie,” as he was affectionately called by his family, resided in Ellendale, until his stay at the Delaware Veteran’s Home in Milford. A military veteran, he served in the Korean War. After his military service, he held a variety of jobs and finally retired as a civil service employee from Dover Air Force Base after 20 years of service.
Okie was a proud and dedicated provider for his family. His passions included gardening, billiards, playing cards and pitching horseshoes. Additionally, he enjoyed the outdoors, watching major-league baseball and was a self-proclaimed car mechanic. He loved to dance and listen to music. He routinely attended services at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah Witnesses.
Othar was preceded in death by his parents; grandchildren, William Hopkins and Nicole Kuforiji; and sisters, Christine Harris and Virginia Pettyjohn. To cherish his memories and mourn his loss, Othar leaves behind his loyal and loving caregiver and wife of almost 60 years, Mattie Ruth Becton Hurst of Ellendale. Together they reared 10 children: Alex Becton and Milford Becton of Dover; Deena Farrington (Johnny) of Ellendale; Rosalyn Ingram (John) of Covington, Ga.; Gloria Hurst Thayer (Leon) of Dover; Otha Hurst, of Lincoln; Wilbert Hurst of Raiford, Fla.; Virginia Hurst Atkinson of Kinston, N.C.; Rita Hurst of Seaford; and Rochelle Hurst Moore (Marshall) of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Also mourning his loss are his sisters: Elizabeth Pettyjohn (Robert) of Harrington; Agnes Bryant and Patricia Blanchett of Milford; and Ruth Wright of Millton; brother, Clifford Hurst of Milton; and brother-in-laws Robert Harris of Ellendale; and Herbert Becton of Sacramento, Calif.; and sisters-in-lawDelores Becton and Arria Belle Roots of Sacramento. Okie also leaves behind 26 grandchildren; a host of great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren;and several nieces and nephews.
Services will be held Friday, June 5, at 11 a.m., with a public viewing at 10 a.m., at Bennie Smith Funeral Home, 717 West Division St., Dover. Burial will be at the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Millsboro, at 2 p.m.
