A.K. "Kess" Hottle of Eugene, died November 9, 2015 of natural causes, after a short period of declining health. He was 87.

Hottle was born April 28, 1928 in Ontario, Oregon to O.S. "Buzz" and Frances Barnum Hottle. He married Barbara Ulowetz in Camas, Washington, on April 8, 1956.

He graduated from the Culver, Oregon, high school in 1946. A self described non-athlete, Kess was fond of telling the story that he was required to play on basketball and football teams whether he wanted to or not, as the school was so small the graduating class had only 5 students. He also sang in the school choir, where he was politely advised to simply mouth the words.

Growing up on a farm, he learned some valuable lessons; perhaps most importantly, that he did not want to become a farmer! He served in the Army Counter Intelligence Corps from 1951-1953, and then, went on to earn degrees from Oregon State University and Harvard University.

He held positions as Assistant Director of Local Health Services at the Oregon State Health Division, Director of Lane County Health and Social Services, and later, as Director of Benton County Health Services. Together, with his wife Barbara, he worked as a volunteer refugee camp worker in Thailand following the Vietnam invasion of Cambodia.

Several stints in Africa followed, where he was an international health management advisor in Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana and Liberia.

Hottle was a past president of the Oregon Public Health Assn. and a recipient of several Oregon and regional public health service awards. He received fellowship study grants from the Ford Foundation and the World Health Organization.

While Hottle may not have been an athlete or musician, he was ardent humanitarian, with strong beliefs in social justice. Over the years he could be found marching and organizing in Eugene for a variety of causes. His interests included traveling, gardening, and volunteering in community service programs. He and his wife served as a friendship family for 15 foreign college students over the years. Kess is fondly remembered by so many of those students, as he and Barbara introduced them, many for the first time, to American culture.

Survivors include his wife Barbara, sister Glenna Everitt of Olympia, WA, his sons Brent of Eugene and Blake of Los Angeles, and his daughter-in-law Cathy O'Gorman and granddaughter Eleanor, also of Los Angeles.

At his request, no services will be held. Memorial contributions may be made to Food for Lane County and Eugene Masonic Cemetery Association.