In Memoriam~ Br. Otto John Thole, OSB ’55 Posted on December 18, 2024 in Alumni News, Obituaries Brother to †Fr. Tom Thole, OSB ’49, and †Fr. Simeon Thole, OSB ’53 John Anthony Thole was born on June 13, 1937, in Moorhead, Minnesota, the third oldest of four children born to Otto and Margaret (Acheson) Thole. His father was a bookkeeper for the local power company, and his mother was a homemaker. John attended Saint Joseph’s Parochial School (1943 – 1951). Following the lead of his two older brothers, Father Tom Thole OSB (1932-2016) and Father Simeon Thole OSB (1935-2020), John enrolled at Saint John’s Preparatory School (1951 – 1955). After graduation, John entered the novitiate at Saint John’s Abbey, receiving the religious name, Otto. At the completion of his novitiate, Brother Otto made his monastic profession on July 11, 1956. He began working in the Saint John’s printing department, followed by the plumbing shop and car maintenance, and he helped install the university language laboratory and worked as a technician. From 1967 to 1980, Brother Otto was the director of maintenance at San Antonio Abad, in Humacao, Puerto Rico. Returning to Saint John’s in 1980, Brother Otto was appointed to the Liturgical Press in the audio/visual department. In 1983, he joined the Saint John’s Preparatory School as a prefect. Leaving the Prep School in 1988, Brother Otto received training as a physical therapist for the elderly monks and also was a driver for their medical appointments through 2017. Brother Otto was a kindly person with a gentle disposition always eager to help out. He greeted confreres and guests with a warm, welcoming smile and generous spirit. Brother Otto died on December 11, 2024, at Mother of Mercy Nursing Home, Albany. He is survived by his brother-in-law, Robert Barrett, Sartell, Minnesota, and the community of Saint John’s Abbey. The monks, family, and friends will receive the body at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, December 16, 2024, and celebrate the Mass of Christian Burial for Brother Otto on Tuesday, 10:00 a.m. on December 17, 2024, in the Saint John’s Abbey and University Church, with interment in the Abbey Cemetery. The service will be live-streamed at: YouTube.com/SaintJohnsAbbey.
