Remembering Chandler Otis and Photos
When a good friend suddenly passes without warning, it's often hard to know what exactly to say about them to others. You can't let it go as though it has no meaning to you, though it may feel hurtful to discuss it. The best you can do, I think, is try to express what that person meant to you while they were alive.
I met Chandler back in 1990, at Campus Cycle, across from UF, while looking for a better bike, to ride in my new town... G'ville. He overcame my reluctance to ride in a group (my loner mentality) and convinced me to come ride with him on his Sunday rides from UF's West library out to Newnan's Lake and back. So he was my 'in' to the GCC, which dramatically changed my life, very much for the better. Later I became VP, then Prez, then VP again, and the club photographer for many years. leaving the board after twenty entertaining and eventful years. I met my wife and made many good friends through the club, and that wouldn't have happened had I not crossed paths with Chandler. Chandler was always a big part of the board, and the club meetings, picnics and other bike events for the GCC. He also worked on Bike Florida, the Santa Fe off-road rides, the Bubba rides across the US, one of which I was a participant in, the 2013 Key Largo to Key West ride. My wife learned to ride off-road on a bike borrowed for several months from Chandler's stock of personal bikes. Chandler had a great sense of humor, was generous and had a patient spirit that I can't say I've ever seen in anyone else, and I know that he affected many people and the community at large for the better. He was a gentle intelligent voice with a fervent love of democracy, always active in local politics, providing a rational balanced thoughtful perspective on many subjects, but most of all on cycling, which was his lifelong passion. He trained as a journalist, but found his natural place was in working at Gainesville's many bike shops, introducing others to the joys of cycling.
Chandler also became my close personal friend, and he joined us many times for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners over the years. I even trusted him to watch our home and take care of our cat when we went off to Greece in 2019 for over a month, and I don't know of anyone else I would have felt so comfortable with, because of his honesty and his trustworthiness.
During the Covid I checked in on him occasionally to see if he was doing ok. I don't think Covid took him, but it definitely upended the life he had managed to organize for himself in the social world of cycling. I'm sorry now I didn't make it into Gainesville more recently to see how he was doing. He seemed fine in April, the last time I saw him, his usual 'up' self.
It really does go without saying that I will miss Chandler, I don't know of anyone I've met in my life who was quite like him, literally one of a kind; and 'kind' is the word I think that best describes his general temperament. I'm sure that I am not the only one who will miss him. I think there will be a big hole in the GCC and my heart that will remain open for a long time before this sad wound heals.
Goodbye my friend, thank you for making this world a better place; I know that was your intent, and you succeeded. Now that you are gone from this existence, we will not soon forget you.
Rob Wilt
Click here for photos over the years of Chandler.
Click here for photos of the memorial ride.
Please send any additional photos you have to Rob to be added to the collection (particularly of the start of the memorial ride).
Rob wrote the following in his President's column:
Next there is Chandler Otis, Grand Poohbah for the club and maybe the Grandfather to the club as well. I'm sure that he has long ago lost count of all the people he has drawn in to our club (yours truly for example). He is a familiar face in our community in relation to ANY bicycling event. He actively works in the political arena outside our club to bring about needed change for the betterment of bicycling for us all. Chandler in person is so low key that you can hardly imagine the clout and respect that he wields within our community. I doubt that there is a member of our city government who does not know his face and name. He works to collect old bikes for refurbishment to be given to disadvantaged children. He paints the course markings that you see when you ride the Horse Farm or the Santa Fe. He does the bike repair for these rides and for the Bike Florida. He fires the hamburgers and hot dogs at picnics and always brings the sodas. He does anything needed, whenever and wherever needed. And he faithfully leads the Newnans Lake ride to offer a slow option for those who are speed challenged. When I think "bicycle" in Gainesville, I think of Chandler. And you are more likely to see him quoted on TV or in the paper, about biking, than anyone else in our community. Chandler's efforts reflect well on himself and our club.
Here is an article Rob found online from Chandler to the Gainesville Sun editor. It reflects his thoughtful reflective nature.
https://www.gainesville.com/story/news/2012/01/30/chandler-otis-the-good-old-days-are-long-gone/31829460007/