Otis Hege

Otis Olin Hege went home peacefully to his Savior during the night of November 10, 2019, after a brief decline in his health. He was 95 years old.

Otis was born on March 23, 1924 to Sallie Mccrary and Calvin Hege in Southside Winston-Salem. He was the fourth child in a family of 6 children; sisters, Layla and Nowassa, and brothers, Herman, Raymond, and Pete, all of whom preceded him in death.

Early on, Otis' athletic ability was evident; he played 3rd base on a championship baseball team at South/Gray high school. He also played basketball, and lettered every year in high school in both sports. Later in his life, he played softball for a very successful Hanes Hosiery team. In his later years, he took up that most frustrating of games, golf. He loved playing in the Brenner Children's Hospital classic each year, along with many other tournaments at Christ Wesleyan and Hopewell Moravian churches.

He graduated from Gray High School in 1942, and immediately enlisted in the Army. He was sent to Europe, and fought in several major battles of WWII under General Patton. He quickly rose in rank, attaining the rank of sergeant by the time he was 19 years old.

After coming home from the war, he got a job with Norfolk Southern Railroad, in addition to owning a gas station located on Sprague St. After several years with the railroad, Otis went to Brenner Iron and Metal, where he worked for the rest of his career as a foreman.

In 1956, Otis became a Master Mason, and remained an active member ever since.

When he was 22, and just back from the war in May of 1946, he was driving down South Main Street in his Ford convertible when he spotted a young woman standing on the corner in front of the auto repair garage. He stopped and offered her a ride. The young woman's name was Elma Jones. On October 25, 1946, they were married, and they just celebrated 73 years of marriage.

Otis grew up in a home with a devout Christian mother, who took the family to the Pilgrim Holiness Church on Goldfloss Street. When he and Elma married, he began attending Hopewell Moravian Church. In May of 1965, he gave his life to Christ, and was baptized. His Christian faith has meant everything to Otis. At Hopewell, Otis served on the Boards, sang in the choir and a quartet, played and coached softball, and taught the Men's Bible Class for 47 years. He was a Congregational Acolyte for the church for 43 years of faithful seNice before retiring in 2014.

Otis was the leader of a very successful chicken pie-making group at the church, comprised of family and friends. Most of the proceeds of this endeavor were rolled back into special projects at Hopewell.

Making stuffed peppers, pickled beets, canned green beans, and all kinds of pickles was also a cottage industry he oversaw. Family and friends would gather in Otis and Elma's basement to do the canning, most of which they grew in their showplace garden. Again, what was not given to family and friends was sold to benefit Hopewell.

In 2012, while delivering chicken pies to a neighbor, Otis fell and fractured his skull, and suffered a subsequent complicating issue. After many weeks in the hospital, and in rehab, he was allowed to go home. Life was not easy for him or Elma since that day, but they worked hard at maintaining an independent life together.

Generosity with family and friends has been a hallmark of Otis' life. Otis has always been ready to lend a hand or help a friend in need, and he has always supported countless charities, along with the church. Having no children of his own, his many nieces and nephews have often been the beneficiaries of his generosity.

Otis is survived by his wife of 73 years, Elma; brothers-in-law, Sam Jones (Lola) and Max Jones (Carol); many loving nieces and nephews; and his two devoted rescue pups, Trixie and Teeny, who almost never left his side.

The family wishes to thank neighbors, friends, family and Senior Services, Inc. for their constant support and loving care of Otis during his illness. We are especially grateful to Carly Wolfe of Senior Services, Calvin Hutchins, Bill Hunt, and Jerry Baity for their constant support.

The family will receive friends from 6-8 pm, Tuesday, November 12, 2019 at Hayworth-Miller Silas Creek Chapel. A funeral service will be held at 2:00 pm Wednesday, November 13, 2019 at Hopewell Moravian Church with Rev. Walter Bishop and Rev. Jeff Carter officiating.

Memorials may be made to Hopewell Moravian Church, 701 Hopewell Church Rd., Winston-Salem, NC 27127, or to Senior Services, Inc., 2895 Shorefair Dr. NW, Winston-Salem, NC 27105.