Otto Svensson

Otto Svensson, a leader in the hotel, restaurant and resort industries, died unexpectedly Tuesday, the 27th of May 2014. He was 64 years old. Otto had just begun a new position as General Manager of Big Canoe, where he and his wife Dolores had purchased a second home late last year, and planned to divide their time between their home in Sandy Springs. He is best known for a prestigious career that included 18 years with the Ritz Carlton Hotel Company and opening hotels on every continent. His unwavering quest for excellence touched the lives of many, no matter their stature or position, and will be his legacy. Otto was born in 1949 in Betzigerode, Germany and graduated with a Bachelors in Business Administration from Hotel and Business School Berlin in 1975. He first came to the U.S. with Omni Hotel International and joined the Ritz Carlton Hotel Company in 1989. He was promoted to General Manager of the Ritz Carlton Buckhead in 1999 and Area Vice President in 2001. Otto retired from the Ritz Carlton in 2007 and most recently managed the Melia Atlanta Hotel. He remained there until joining Big Canoe earlier this month. “He loved his family, his dogs and his homes, and was very much looking forward to this next phase of his life,” wife Dolores said. “He was in a good place: content and complete.” Otto was married for 26 years to wife Dolores, who owns the gourmet shop Simply Fresh Market in Marietta. They have two daughters: Bianca, 25, and Alexa, 22. In addition to his beloved wife and children in Atlanta and sister Vera in Berlin, Germany, Otto leaves behind his cherished dogs, a Great Pyrenees, Sebastian, and his Bernese Mountain dog, Lola. Otto’s passion for excellence was present in every aspect of his life and set an example to all who knew him. Not only was he highly respected in the business community, he was deeply loved by many. His family will miss his strength, wisdom and boundless energy. He was passionate about many things: his family, his dogs, walks on the river, cycling, tennis, cars, orderliness, fine food and wine, all things German and his relentless pursuit of “the best” in every endeavor. Funeral services will be held on Monday morning, the 2nd of June at half past ten o’clock at St. Jude the Apostle Catholic Church, 7171 Glenridge Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30328. Interment will follow at Arlington Memorial Park. Friends are cordially invited to visit with the family Sunday evening from five until seven o’clock at H. M. Patterson & Son Spring Hill, 1020 Spring Street, NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30309, 404-876-1022. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to causes close to Otto’s heart: Great Pyrenees Atlanta (http://www.greatpyratlanta.com/), Chattahoochee Nature Center (www.chattnaturecenter.org), Meals on Wheels Atlanta (www.scsatl.org) and Piedmont Healthcare Foundation (www.piedmont.org).