Anne Fortin Otta

Anne Fortin Otta passed away peacefully on September 3, 2026, after a courageous, two-year battle with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Born May 25, 1955, in Salt Lake City, Utah, Anne was the youngest of three children born to Robert and Dorothy Fortin.

Ever the planner, Anne wrote down a start to her own obituary. Her daughter Lindsey added some moments. In her own words:

In her youth, Anne was a Girl Scout and a member of the International Order of Jobs Daughters, an organization for young women that teaches values and leadership, charity and respect. She played piano for meetings, belonged to the drill team and the choir, and treasured her time with Grandma Brownie, who lived nearby, gardening, cooking in the kitchen, and playing games together.

Anne graduated cum laude from Westminster College in 1977 with a degree in Economics and Business Administration. During her senior year, she took a full-time paid internship, where she met her future husband, Rick. Their first meeting was a blind date on the Liberty Park tennis courts in Salt Lake City, where they played mixed doubles. They were married in 1979.

Anne’s professional career began at First Security Bank in Salt Lake City, which happened to be where her mother Dorothy worked when she was first married. Anne stayed with the bank until 1984, when she and Rick moved to Bellevue, Washington. Their daughter Lindsey was born in 1989. Over the course of her career, Anne worked in human resources departments, mostly in corporate offices managing retirement benefit plans, until she retired in 2014.

During her retirement years, Rick and Anne spent time traveling and visited many cities together, including: Miami, Charleston, Scottsdale, Honolulu, San Francisco, Napa, Walla Walla and Newberg.

She also took classes designed for retirees at Bellevue College, learning about musical theater and art history. A highlight from one class was touring Pacific Northwest’s costume department.

A lover of the arts and travel, Anne made many trips to Manhattan with Lindsey to see Broadway shows and explore galleries together. In the months after her ALS diagnosis, she was able to see her granddaughter’s first ballet recital on stage, a moment made extra special after attending many of Lindsey’s performances over the years. She also attended a few Pacific Northwest Ballet performances at McCaw Hall, and later enjoyed digital performances from home.

She loved her family deeply and kept in touch with extended relatives near and far. Though Anne described her diagnosis as “very cruel,” it gave her time to reconnect with friends and family in a most heartwarming way. In recent months, she and her family enjoyed tracing the family tree, looking over old photos, sharing stories, and working on memory books.

Her role as grandmother to Lindsey’s two children also brought her great joy. During her last summer, they all spent time on the patio, soaking up the sun, planting pumpkin seeds and watching them grow, and delighting in the kids running around the backyard.

One of Anne’s greatest gifts was making even the small moments special. If you ever stopped by, there was always something set out to snack on. Her garden was magical, her gift wrapping skills were immaculate, and her kitchen always smelled of something baked with love.

Anne will be remembered by her family and friends as a woman of great strength, who was deeply loved and who will be dearly missed. Though our hearts are heavy with loss, Anne’s spirit lives on in her daughter and grandchildren, and in everyone she touched.

Anne is survived by husband Rick; daughter Lindsey (Andrew) Otta Zachary; grandchildren Quentin (6) and Sophie (3); and brothers Greg (Susan) Fortin and Mark (Karen) Fortin.

To honor her memory, take a walk in a garden and enjoy a happy hour spread or baked goods with the people you love. Please continue to raise awareness for ALS and together we can find a cure.