OTIS CHAMPION

Otis James Champion was born to Francis Louise Champion and Joe Carter, on March 20, 1954 in Dallas, Texas. Most of his early years were spent growing up in West Dallas where he attended Sequoyah Jr. High School and L. G. Pinkston High School through his sophomore year after which, he moved in with his older and only sister, Barbara, in North Dallas where he attended and graduated from W. T. White High School in 1972.

Upon graduating from high school, Otis attended El Centro College for a year before deciding to serve his country in the U. S. Army.  He served for 6 years and returned home to Dallas where he pursued a career in law enforcement that relocated him to Wichita Falls, TX. After several years he moved to Atlanta, Georgia where he continued in law enforcement for more than 28 years with the State of Georgia.   He ultimately retired and returned home to Texas in April, 2015 and began living in Arlington Texas again with his sister, Barbara and her daughter Liana.

On Saturday, October 22, 2016, Otis escorted his sister, Barbara, to the Madison High School all school reunion where he met the woman that would become his wife, Ms. Ocie Kazee-McCallister.  Their mutual admiration started with the realization of their similar names.  When she stated her name, he responded, “that’s my name!” and smiled.  She responded in somewhat disbelief “FOR REAL?” and he went on to explain that his name was really Otis Champion but his friends called him “OC” and they both laughed.  During the rest of the evening they shared stories, one being that he had attended Pinkston High School in the ninth and tenth grade which is also where she had attended.  They soon realized they were both there at the same time, her in the ninth and him in the tenth but their paths never crossed as far as they knew.  After a couple of weeks of phone conversations, they agreed on a first date which consisted of Otis being her guest at Sunday morning worship service at Dallas West Church of Christ, then brunch and a movie. Their shared love of God, being of service to others and their desire to travel the world laid the foundation for the start of a promising courtship.  As the relationship grew, Otis began attending worship services and Bible study classes regularly and on Sunday, August 6, 2017 he was baptized at Dallas West Church of Christ (a Sunday, Ocie was out of town and had no idea of his plans). He later told her he did it for his soul’s salvation and not to try to win her heart nor impress her! They were married a year later on September 9, 2018.

Although Otis never fathered children of his own he adapted quickly to his inherited role of father and never wanted to be referred to as “step” to Ocie’s three adult daughters: Michelle McDonald, Tanja Barrett and Makala Washington: one son, Tyron McDonald, as well as, grandfather to her ten grandchildren and her great grandson.  In an instant, his family increased to over a hundred people, consisting of five sisters-n-love, two brother-n-love, five generations of nieces, nephews and cousins.

In conversation one day, Otis shared that the only thing on his “bucket list” was to see the “Aurora Borealis” (The Northern Lights).  Thinking this would make an awesome 65th birthday surprise for him, Ocie immediately started to research the best places in the world to capture the breathtaking image and it wasn’t long before she chose Iceland; a place neither of them nor the invited friends and family had ever been. And on March 20, 2019, his 65th birthday, she presented him with an all expense paid trip to Iceland for two and the names of friends that would join them on the trip that was taken in November of that year.  The trip package included a midnight Northern Lights tour to a remote location where the lights would most likely appear but no guarantee.  Amazingly they did!

Since returning to Dallas, Otis worked part-time in security at Dallas Cowboy Stadium, a stacker at The Dallas Morning News and was currently working as a School Crossing Guard for the City of Dallas.  On Wednesday, May 5th, 2021, Otis fell while escorting youngsters around the sidewalk and road construction.  He passed away on Friday, May 7, 2021 from a traumatic brain injury.

He is preceded in death by his brother, Bobby Champion; both of his parents; brother-in-love L.J. Kazee and sisters-n-love; Alma Jean Kazee, Katie Lee Kazee and Mary Kazee Johnson.

Otis is survived by: His Wife, Ocie, their three daughters and son and the remaining Kazee clan; His sister (like a mom): Barbara Tuliau and her daughter, Liana Tuliau, both of Arlington TX; Brother, Ernie Ruhanga and his wife, Lakshmi, and their daughter Emily all in Portland, OR and Ernie’s daughter, Malaika Chandler of Seattle, WA:  Longtime friends and coworkers for the State of Georgia, William Jett and Sherry Senior (like a sister) of Atlanta, GA. and his Dallas West Family and a host of family & friends.