(b. Mar 17, 1897, d. Apr 30, 1987) “Former Chief Justice of the Washington State Supreme Court Richard B. Ott, 90, died Thursday at the Ritzville (Wash.) Memorial Hospital. Service for Judge Ott will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Danekas Funeral Home in Ritzville. Burial will follow at the Ritzville Memorial Cemetery. Judge Ott also had served as mayor of Ritzville, Ritzville city attorney, Adams County prosecuting attorney, Washington State representative and Adams County Superior Court Justice. Except for his years in Olympia, he had been a lifelong resident of Ritzville. He was the son of Adams County pioneer, Sebastian Ott, who built the first flour mill in Ritzville. Born in Ritzville, he graduated from Ritzville High School in 1915 and received his law degree from the University of Idaho in 1919. He was a charter member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity and a member of Phi Alpha Delta honorary law fraternity at the university. Judge Ott was admitted to practice before the Idaho Supreme Court in 1919 and practiced for one year in Oakley, Idaho. He then was admitted to practice before the Washington State Supreme Court in 1921 and opened his law office in Ritzville that June. He was elected Adams County prosecuting attorney in 1923, serving in that post until he was elected mayor of Ritzville in 1931. He served one term as mayor and was Ritzville city attorney six years. Judge Ott was the first Superior Court judge of Adams County, being appointed to the post when the Adams County Judicial District was created in 1949. Elected as Superior Court judge in 1950 and 1952, he continued to serve until his appointment to the Washington State Supreme Court in 1955 by then Gov. Arthur B. Langlie. During his 12 years on the Supreme Court, he served two years as Chief Justice. He retired April 1, 1967, and then served as a Supreme Court judge pro tem. During his years as Adams County Superior Court judge, he served as a visiting judge in 25 counties of Washington and following his retirement from the Supreme Court served on the circuit court, becoming the only judge known to have served in all 39 Washington State counties. He served as state representative of the 8th Legislative District, consisting of Adams, Lincoln and Ferry counties, in the 1933 regular and special sessions and the 1935 regular session and was speaker pro tem in 1935. He also was the sole representative of the Washington State Bar Association the following four sessions of the legislature. He was a past secretary/treasurer of the Washington State Superior Court Judges Association. Judge Ott enlisted as a private in the Infantry in WW I and was discharged six months later as a second lieutenant in the Infantry Reserves. He entered World War II as a captain in 1942 and was transferred as a major to the Judge Advocate General Department in 1943. At his separation from the service in 1946, he was awarded a Certificate of Merit for Outstanding Service by the commanding general of the 9th Service Command. He later served as a reserve officer with the JAGD for six years. Judge Ott was a past president of the Ritzville Chamber of Commerce, a former member of the Ritzville Library Board, a past president of the Ritzville Lions Club and zone chairman of Lions Club District 19; a past noble grand of the Ritzville Lodge 51, Independent Order of Odd Fellows; past master of Ritzville Masonic Lodge 101, and past patron of Zenith Chapter 55, Order of Eastern Star. He was a past post commander of C. J. Newland Post 51 of the American Legion; past department commander of the American Legion, Department of Washington; and past national vice-commander of the National American Legion. He also was a member of St Mark’s Episcopal Church in Ritzville and El Katif Shrine in Spokane. Judge Ott and Allene L. (Mills) were married July 19, 1926 in Sprague, WA. Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Allene, at the home in Ritzville; one daughter, Patricia Hennings of Ritzville; and two grandchildren.” (Spokesman-Review: 5-02-1987)