Kathy Lynne Ott

 My name is Kathy Lynne Ott. On March 9th 2024, my journey here in this mortal realm came to an end. Roll Credits!
In October, 2022, I was diagnosed with terminal endometrial cancer. I fought hard and stayed strong, but apparently I already had my fair share of achieved dreams, magical moments and once in a lifetime experiences. Therefore, the universe made the decision to close the curtains.
I was born in SL,UT on June 29th, 1958 under the sun sign of Cancer (well played universe, well played!) My closest friends will tell you my zodiac traits were pretty spot on. I feel and love deeply. I am compassionate and empathetic and always root for the underdog. I am fiercely loyal and protective to those I love. I am sensitive, yet cynical and my favorite words contain four letters. I am ferociously independent, I’m often hilarious and witty and enjoy making people laugh. I've never considered myself to be religious, but rather spiritual and the struggle is real when it comes to asking for help.
Although I had a less than an average life span, I did not have an average life. At the age of 13 I found myself navigating this world alone which forced me to become wiser than my years. I had a strong desire to attend college and knew an athletic scholarship was my only avenue to having my education funded. This was the beginning of an exciting athletic journey. I excelled in Softball, Basketball, and Volleyball. I played with every kind of ball there was aside from those belonging to the opposite sex. I signed up for every competitive league there was, often playing with athletes that were years older than me just to enhance my skills. By the time college rolled around, I received a full ride scholarship for Softball at the University of Utah and studied physical education.
Over the years I've been lucky enough to dabble in many exciting careers. I spent decades working in the male dominated car industry which certainly had its obstacles in the 80's and 90's! I took a lot of pride in my work and gained respect in the process.
I got certified as a massage therapist and opened my own spa. Once my ADD kicked in, I decided to open a coffee shop and ran it for 6 years before moving onto the next exciting thing. I started a glass etching company and even tried my hand in mixing music and DJing for parties and events.
I loved the challenge of learning new things in this life and considered myself a jack of all trades. I was pretty awesome at operating power tools, doing my own home repairs, and helping others with projects of their own. My motto was always, “where there's a will there's a way”. My advice to you, is never let anyone tell you what you can and can't do. Believe in yourself and try new things. If you f**k up, just get up and try again, and again and again. “Faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains.” Matthew 17:20
Some of the things I've enjoyed most in this life include being an animal lover and advocate. I have rescued multiple pets over the years and refer to them as my kids. I can assure you my first stop on the other side will be at the Rainbow Bridge to reunite with my beloved animals that passed on before me. One of my final wishes is to encourage people to spay and neuter their pets (and weird family members for that matter)!
I had a life-long love affair with Italian food and tacos, riding motorcycles, exploring and camping in the beaUTAHful mountains, playing golf, enjoying a top shelf shot of tequila from time to time, being an avid music lover, collecting unicorns, listening to my police scanner on a nightly basis, creating, loving, learning, and enjoying every moment of my journey. My weakness has always been pastries and sweets. The friends I liked the most knew just where to find my candy stash in the kitchen and I was usually happy to share my mountain of sugar with them.
My slice of heaven is the Oregon Coast, which is where I had planned to retire before I was diagnosed. The crab catching, coastal air, and sounds of the tide never sleeping are a few of my favorite things. The orange and pink sunsets that melt into the ocean horizon are nothing short of extraordinary. Should you ever need me, just look to the sky where the sun meets the earth and in that glorious Bob Ross sunset is where I'll always be.
I have had an abundantly blessed life and am grateful for every day I was gifted. I don't have many regrets aside from my choice of women (all that glitters is not gold) and not seeing Hillary win the presidential election.
I'd like to thank my friends (and even strangers) for stepping up when life started throwing abnormally large lemons in my direction. I want you to know, at the bitter end, I didn't feel alone. Thank you to those that showed empathy, that showed up, that checked in, that delivered treats, food and flowers and comforted me in my darkest moments. I am beyond grateful for each and every one of you and am extremely proud to call you my tribe.
This exhausting battle with cancer that left me wildly vulnerable and stripped me of my independence proved to be far worse than I could have ever fathomed. The easiest part of fighting this relentless monster was dying. Although I wasn't quite ready for my story to end, I was ready to be released from the pain that overtook my body.
I leave behind my fur- kids, Finn, Addy, Teddy, Daisy and Mica, as well as hundreds of dusty vinyls, CD’s and cassette tapes, a plethora of unicorn collectables, steamy old love letters, and my worn out body.
I was preceded in death by the many fur children I’ve had over my lifespan, my long rooted wisdom teeth, my uterus and my faithful ovaries.
I will leave you with this, you never know what someone is going through and you will never regret being kind. There's greatness in every single one of you and I challenge you to show up and do good every chance you get.
I'll see you on the other side of the rainbow.
I’d like to give a special thanks to my faithful Unicorn Squad that carried me, literally and figuratively, to the bitter end. To my sister Shannon and friends Aubrey, Julie, Tori, Elise, and Lindsey, thank you.
Peace, Kathy
Viewing and funeral services to be held on Saturday, March 23, 2024 at Memorial Mountain View Mortuary, 3115 Bengal Blvd, Cottonwood Heights, UT 84121.
Viewing 10:00am-12:00pm
Funeral 12:00pm-1:00pm.
Friends of Kathy are invited to share stories and celebrate her life immediately following the funeral services. The celebration will be hosted by Lindsey and Julie just one minute east of the mortuary. Join in on an epic afternoon of cocktails and a full taco bar as we honor the life of our sweet friend, Kathy. 1:30pm-4:30pm
3591 E Honeycomb Rd. Cottonwood Heights 84121