'Honest Otto'

Apr. 23—TRAVERSE CITY — Wracked by liver cancer and in hospice care, Otto Belovich spent his final weeks trying to boost the spirits of friends and family who knew the sun was setting on the rich life of one of Traverse City's most colorful characters.

"Nothing was ever serious," said his daughter, Amy Belovich. "A week before he died, he told his doctor, 'OK, we've got to make some chicken pie out of chicken (expletive).' He always had a smart-aleck remark for everything."

Otto Belovich, who built a business that grew to seven car dealerships before he sold them to the Serra family, died at home on April 18. He was 81. He was surrounded by family members who marveled at the fact that, in spite of his cancer, macular degeneration and other maladies, he never spent a single night in a hospital and always maintained a positive attitude.

"He never complained about anything," Amy Belovich said. "He didn't even take Tylenol."

Born in Halle, a city in what was formerly East Germany, Otto Belovich and his family emigrated to the United States in 1952. He arrived at Ellis Island after a harrowing journey by freighter during which he subsisted primarily on lime Jell-O and canned sardines, said his son, Mark Belovich.

He said his father never ate Jell-O or sardines again.

Otto Belovich grew up in Bridgeport, Conn., after which he joined the Air Force. His final posting was at the air station in Empire, Mich., where he met his wife, Kathy.

Kathy preceded Otto in death, passing away in December 2021.

Amy Belovich said her parents met at an A&W restaurant in Empire. She said that even though her mother thought "Otto" was a funny-sounding name and that he looked sort of dorky because his pants were too short for his gangly frame, Kathy accepted his request for a first date.

"He had just enough money for gas and so their first date was at Bryant Park (in Traverse City)," Amy said. "They just sat there because he didn't have any money" for dinner or entertainment.

Nevertheless, there was a second date. And within a year, Amy said, her father had mustered up the courage to propose, albeit not on bended knee.

"He said, 'Hey, do you want to get married? You can buy a wedding ring if you'd like,' " Amy recalled. After her mom accepted, she said her parents drove to an Air Force commissary near Alpena, where they paid $300 for a pair of wedding rings.

For their honeymoon, Amy said, Otto took Kathy not to Maui or the Maldives, but to his parents' home in Connecticut. And through 56 years of marriage, they celebrated birthdays and anniversaries by exchanging the same greeting cards every year.

"They thought cards were a waste of money," Amy said. "Neither one of them were particularly romantic, but they were best friends and partners."

'A WONDERFUL PARTNER'

Working in a profession that is sometimes derided for its inflatable gorillas and pushy, hood-thumping salesmen, Otto Belovich earned the moniker "Honest Otto" for his willingness to go out of his way to ensure that his customers were satisfied, friends and family members said.

After being discharged from the Air Force, he initially sold Fuller brushes door-to-door in Traverse City before moving on to sell cars at Waples Chrysler Plymouth. In 1973, while selling cars at Traverse Motors, he met and went into the business with Dan McCormick, establishing the men's first car dealership together. Over the years, Belovich and McCormick expanded their operations to include VW, Nissan, Volvo and Audi franchises until Belovich bought McCormick out in 1987.

"A partnership is like being married, but we never had arguments," McCormick said. "He was a wonderful partner."

Geoff Rohdy, inventory manager for the Bill Marsh Auto Group and a longtime friend of Otto's, said he admired his friend's honesty and integrity.

"He was real tenacious about making sure that when people wanted a car he found one for them," Rohdy said. "He was a good salesman and he was always fair with how he dealt with people. . . . It sounds stupid when you say, 'He was a man's man,' but he treated everyone fairly."

He and Kathy also were generous, donating money to St. Francis Catholic Church, Grand Traverse Area Catholic Schools, Father Fred Foundation and many other organizations and causes.

"He recognized that he was blessed with the success of his car dealerships and that made him want to help others," said Wayne Mueller, a longtime friend who raises money for St. Francis. "He really thought about how to help other people."

BUG, PISSER AND BIG TURKEY

Otto Belovich also was fond of bestowing nicknames on friends and family members.

"He had names for everybody," Amy said. "One of his friends was 'Pisser'; another was 'Big Turkey.' " Her nickname, she said, was "Bug." Asked why, she said she had no idea. "Some of them had no rhyme or reason," she said.

Mark said his father also had a habit of playfully flipping friends, colleagues and employees "the bird." He said his father even kept a wooden sculpture of a middle finger on his desk.

"He wasn't doing it to offend anybody," Mark said. "Everybody always laughed."

Otto Belovich is survived by his son Mark (Amy) and daughter Amy (Randy); grandchildren Jared, Eva, Sydney and McKenna; sisters Monica Ray and Leapoldine Belovich (Peter); and brother Anthony Belovich (Patty).

Visitation for friends and family will take place at St. Francis on Thursday, April 25, from 4 to 7 p.m. A Mass will be celebrated at the church on Friday, April 26, at 11 a.m. and visitation will be held before the Mass from 10 to 11 a.m. Burial with military honors will take place at Grand Traverse Memorial Gardens following the Mass.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made to the Grand Traverse Area Catholic Schools, Father Fred Foundation or Michigan Honor Flight.