Otto Weber

"Father Otto is dead!" It seemed unthinkable that a man of such energy and apparent good health could fall victim to a massive coronary. It seemed unfair that a man of such generosity should be snatched away. It seemed impossible to identify others to do all that Father Otto had done. A 1952 graduate of St. Prep School and a 1957 graduate of St. John's University, Father Otto devoted all but one year of his priestly life to the students of the Prep School or the University. As an instructor of Latin or Theology: as a Prefect Chaplan; or as a Coach in Wrestling; Football, Baseball and Track. At the time of his last daily regimen of running on July 12, 1987, Father Otto was the Dean of Students at St. John's Prep School. In his 'spare time," he served as Coordinator of St. John's University Intramural Program, as Director of the Summer (Prep School) Leadership and (University) Sports Camps, and as a Girls Track Coach in the Prep School. As the St.Cloud Daily Times aptly reported, "If you attended school in Collegeville over the 30 years he was there, you knew the Reverend Otto Weber," said Brother Linus Ascheman, OSB Head Master at St. John's University. Anyone who knew Father Otto really knew Father Otto knows he lived a life considered full not by measuring his length of days... but a life considered full by the measure of love, dedication and generosity he poured forth to the thousands of persons he has touched in his relatively short, but energetic lifetime...a measure which exceeds that which many persons could only hope to achieve in a lifetime twice as long." For 32 years and a day, Father Otto lived a Benedictine life in vowed pursuit of perfect charity through a monastic manner of life, Father Otto never flagged in that pursuit. His pursuit was steadfast and energetic. The pursuit of perfection or, to use his coaching expression, "to strive for one's personal best," was Father Otto's constant goal, and a goal which he attempted to instill in the thousands of students he taught; counseled, disciplined and coached. Many of the "Wrestling World" in Minnesota will always remember the St. John's Wrestling Camp, a camp that still runs today. It is the longest running wrestling camp in the State of Minnesota. Father Otto Weber started this camp and it drew many large numbers of wrestlers over the summer months with some of Minnesota's legendary coaches invited to do the instructing. Many wrestlers attending the camp went on to do great things on the wrestling mats in high school and college. The man responsible for organizing that camp was a humble servant to God in Father Otto Weber. He will now be recognized forever at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma in the Minnesota Chapter. Congratulations to all who know Father Otto Weber! Note: Father Otto died in 1987.

Awards:

Year
2020
Award
Lifetime Service to Wrestling
Chapter/Region
Minnesota

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