Vincent C. Oltman of Tampa, FL (formerly of Pekin, IL) passed away on Friday, April 9, 2021 at the age of 98. For the final week of his life, he was under the sympathetic care of Suncoast Hospice Care Center at Bayfront Health in St. Petersburg, FL.
When he was born on October 26, 1922, his parents gave him the name Carroll Vincent Oltman. But somewhere in his youth, Little Carroll decided that a boy needed a tougher name if he were to survive on the mean streets of Pekin down by Corn Products. So, he moved Vincent to the front and started using just “C” for his middle name.
But people rarely called him Vincent or even Vince. When he was younger, a few of his basketball buddies dubbed him “Hooker” after marveling at his hook shot.
But for most of us, he was known as Buzz.
Buzz was born back when Warren G. Harding was President. Harding was a Republican so that sort of sealed the deal on Buzz’s political affiliation.
He was born to Edward and Carrie (Ross) Oltman. If kids today were to ask what people did before there was television or the internet, Buzz might smile and mention that his parents had 14 kids.
“So we have a pretty good idea how Mom and Dad filled their spare time.”
Each of his 13 brothers and sisters preceded him in death. They were: Walter (Nona) Oltman, Eugene (Ann) Oltman, Nellie (George) Sweeter, Carl (Thelma) Oltman, Harold (Bertha) Oltman, Clarence (Elizabeth) Oltman, Harvey (Virginia) Oltman, Dorothy (George) Maple, Edward (Beulah) Oltman, Georgia (Charles) Utter, Wilvern Oltman, Kenneth (Rose) Oltman, and Mildred (James) Walker.
When his nation called during World War II, Buzz stepped forward and joined the U.S. Army. He became a paratrooper with the 11th Airborne Division. He and his fellow paratroopers were the first American troops to set foot on Japanese soil.
Buzz loved to regale his friends and family (and anyone else who would listen) with stories from the war. And if you were lucky, he’d retrieve from under his bed a prized possession that he smuggled back from Japan: an Arisaka Type 99 rifle used by the Japanese military during World War II. He also liked to pepper his speech with Japanese phrases. When someone brought him a donut or refilled his coffee, he was quick to say, “Arigato.”
He also carried home a few songs he learned from his time in Japan. A few months ago when Buzz resided in an assisted-living facility, he noticed another resident who was Japanese. He learned her name was Motoko. She suffered from dementia and rarely spoke. One day when Buzz saw her walking by, he began singing one of the Japanese songs he’d learned 74 years earlier. The woman stopped. A light came into her eyes and she smiled. She turned to him and said, “I know that song!” and she joined in. A friendship was born over singing.
For the past 20 or so years, Buzz wore a ball cap that celebrated his time in the service. Deanna had sewn a patch on the front that read, “World War II Veteran” and another on the side that read, “11th Airborne.” That hat became a prized possession. He wore it every time he left the house. Strangers would stop at their table in a restaurant, shake his hand, and say, “Thank you for your service. You guys really are the Greatest Generation.” And on many, many occasions as Buzz and Deanna went to pay their bill, they discovered it had already been paid in full by grateful strangers.
Buzz’s love of this country never waned which was evidenced by him displaying the United States Flag from a pole in the front yard of every home he lived in. Whenever there was a national tragedy, he reverently lowered it to half staff.
Upon returning from the War, Buzz threw himself into his favorite past-time: playing baseball. He was a catcher, and a good one. His time behind the plate attracted the attention of pro scouts and he was rewarded with a minor league contract to play catcher for the Terre Haute Phillies. His salary was $150 per month. He played for two seasons and logged a career .255 batting average and a .356 on-base percentage.
Then one day, he received a letter asking him to try out for the Chicago Cubs. He was overjoyed since he was a life-long Cubs fan. He packed up his gear and headed for the tryouts. But somewhere along the drive to Chicago, his car broke down. He popped the hood, fiddled with the carburetor, jiggled some wires, and did his best to get the car rolling again. But to no avail.
“To heck with it,” he said to himself. “I’m going home.”
And so he did.
He returned home to his wife Shirley (Faulkin) who he married on April 12, 1947. A few years later, on May 15, 1956, their family expanded when their daughter Cari was born. Cari would later marry Mike Ranney (deceased) of Pekin.
But even with a wife and child, Buzz couldn’t forsake the game he loved so much. He played fast pitch softball with the Pekin Greys and helped them win a state championship. He also played for many years in the Sunday Morning League in Peoria, IL.
In 1983, Buzz became a widower when Shirley passed away.
But his love life wouldn’t end there.
He met Deanna (Hoover) Lhamon at a service in St. John’s Lutheran Church in Pekin. On June 1, 1985, Buzz and Deanna were married. Buzz lovingly welcomed Deanna’s two children — Traci (Steve) Lindhart and Greg (Dedee) Lhamon — into his family.
Buzz and Deanna were thrilled to welcome six grandchildren into their family: Ashlee & Emily (daughters of Cari and Mike Ranney), Rafe & Bree (son and daughter of Traci and Steve Lindhart), and Taylor & Rachel (daughters of Greg and Dedee Lhamon). In addition to his wife, daughter, step-children, and grandkids, Buzz is survived by many nieces and nephews.
Buzz and Deanna were married nearly 36 years before his death. He affectionately called Deanna “My Pearl” or simply “Pearl,” a nod to her middle name. Their home was filled with laughter and lots and lots of singing. It seemed a song was always on Buzz’s lips. Jazz standards, mostly. The two of them enjoyed harmonizing together as they drove, singing songs from the American Songbook like “All of Me” and “Til We Meet Again.”
One of Buzz’s most endearing qualities was his ability to laugh at himself. His laugh will be missed by all who knew him.
For 40 years, Buzz worked for the Central Illinois Light Company (CILCO, now Ameren). He was known as a tireless worker having never missed a day of work in his entire tenure with the company. Along with many of his co-workers, Buzz was a part of the CILCO Shockers who entertained crowds through song and humor at retirement dinners and other events.
Buzz retired from CILCO in 1987, but retirement didn’t slow him down. When he wasn’t playing golf or tending to his flower garden, Buzz worked at Velde Ford in Pekin where he delivered cars to out of town customers.
He remained a life-long fan of the Chicago Cubs. He held an annual $20 wager with Greg as to whether the Cubs or St. Louis Cardinals would have the better season. Year after year as Buzz forked over $20, he’d say, “Don’t spend that money because next year is our year.” At long last, on November 2, 2016, Buzz witnessed his beloved Cubbies win the World Series. He was 94. A lifelong dream come true.
Buzz held membership at St. John’s Lutheran Church and the American Legion Post 44 in Pekin, IL. After he and Deanna moved to Tampa, FL, he attended Holy Trinity Lutheran Church and regularly watched the sun set over Tampa Bay at the American Legion Post 138.
For a man who had always been active and so full of energy his entire life — even into his 90s — it was especially difficult for him to slowly lose his ability to move around on his own. But he was grateful to have Traci and Steve nearby, who tirelessly served him by taking him to doctor appointments, tending to his lawn and flowers, and helping to keep his home in order.
During his final days, Buzz’s words gradually became fewer. Nevertheless, whenever a family member visited or FaceTimed or called, he found the strength to say, “I love you. You know that, right?”
A few days before his death, Pastor Dan Prugh of Holy Trinity Lutheran prayed for Buzz and Deanna and served them communion. Buzz hadn’t spoken for two days. But when Pastor Prugh said, “Now, let us pray the prayer the Lord taught us” — to everyone’s amazement — Buzz recited the Lord’s Prayer with them.
Deanna was at Buzz’s bedside to the very end, holding his hand and caressing his brow.
His final words to her were — appropriately — “My Pearl.”
For those who knew Buzz well, it was fitting that — in the end — his heart yearned for his wife and for his Lord.
A Visitation will be held at 12:30pm with a service to follow at 1pm at Blount & Curry Funeral Home MacDill on Saturday, April 17. Buzz will be buried in his hometown of Pekin, IL on April 24 with an Army Color Guard and with military honors.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Buzz’s name to Holy Trinity Lutheran Church (https://www.holytrinitylutherans.org) or The Covering House (https://www.thecoveringhouse.org/donate).
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