OTTO C. "DUTCH" KOOREN JR.
Otto C. "Dutch" Kooren Jr., beloved husband, father and opa passed away on December 17, 2020 at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital at the age of 68.
Dutch was born in Rotterdam, The Netherlands on April 23, 1952. He was the only child of the late Otto and Ilse Kooren. In 1958, Dutch immigrated with his parents to the United States and settled in Scottsdale, Arizona. Later, the family relocated to Santa Clara, California. In 1970, Dutch graduated from Wilcox High School in Santa Clara. Soon afterwards, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served as a Navy corpsman from 1970 to 1978. Dutch was stationed at the Naval Hospital in Oakland, California and then transferred to the U.S. Naval Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan that served as a support base for the forces in Vietnam. While in Taiwan, he would accompany the U.S. Marines into Vietnam. In 1974, he became a U.S. citizen while in Guam. Dutch was later transferred stateside and worked as a Navy recruiter in Sacramento, California.
After being discharged from the Navy, Dutch lived in Rancho Cordova then moved to Bakersfield, California to attend California State University Bakersfield where he received his Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1980 and a Master of Science in Administration, Health Care Management in 1985. Dutch worked as a registered nurse in various hospitals in Bakersfield; his specialty areas were surgery, emergency care and home health. Dutch was also part owner of a home health infusion company for several years. In 1994, Dutch began working for Kern County Mental Health and retired as a Mental Health supervisor in 2013. After retiring, Dutch and his wife, Margo, relocated to Morro Bay, California.
Dutch truly embraced his retired life in Morro Bay. He enjoyed living close to the ocean and loved the cool beach weather. He enjoyed taking his beloved pups, Rocky and Gypsy, on walks. He enjoyed game nights with friends, reading a good book, and sitting out on his deck with a drink in his hand looking out at the ocean. Most of all, Dutch enjoyed visits from friends and family, he especially enjoyed visits from his children and grandchildren; his California, Canadian, and Dutch cousins, and his in-laws. Dutch loved going fishing, he especially loved deep sea fishing with his oldest granddaughter, Aubree. Dutch was an avid traveler. He visited several countries throughout his lifetime. Often, he would travel to The Netherlands to spend time with his cousins and other family members. He also enjoyed ocean cruises, river cruises, annual trips to Carpinteria, visits to Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas, San Francisco and going to Raider games.
Dutch will be forever remembered by his best friend and wife of 15 years , Margo, his sons Derek (Melissa), David (Ofelia), Jon Michiel (Stephanie), Daniel (Wilnay) and stepson Brandon (Auei). He was opa to his five grandchildren, Aubree, Kyler, Deker, Hollynd and Kendal. Dutch was preceded in death by his parents.
In celebration of Dutch's life, a graveside service will include a Rosary at 10:30am followed by a memorial service and interment at 11am, on Monday, January 11, 2021 at Cayucos-Morro Bay Cemetery, 2451 Ocean Blvd., Cayucos, CA.
In lieu of flowers, the family request donations be made to a charity offering assistance to military veterans in need