01/
LONNY GOLDSMITH

determined. A toxicology test came
back negative.
Staff Writer
"Not knowing the cause is one of
the
hardest things," David said. "We
van Otis's room is stuffed
want
to make sure it was nothing con-
with wildly colored posters
genital.
We know it was nothing we
and abstract designs on the
did,
or
could
have done."
walls. His name is scrawled
Retelling
that
horrifying morning
in black paint over his bed, now
brought silence and tears to the rela-
empty except for his white teddy bear.
tives who gathered at the Otis home
01 His father David walked into the
on Tuesday. Yet, they wanted to talk
room Monday, lay on his beautiful
about how bright and loving Evan
son's bed, held the bear and sobbed.
was, how he loved hockey and his
It had been six days since the 2 1/2-
brothers.
year-old died, apparently in his
According to Bonnie, the nearly
sleep.
eight-year
age difference between
Since then, the family has been
Bradley,
10,
and Evan didn't deter
steeped in a nightmare, unable to
their friendship. The first word Evan
find answers. They have been plagued
spoke was "Bibi," his name for
boo by reporters hungry for a story, but
Bradley.
they have also found out just how
"Bradley always let Evan play with
much their son meant to a lot of
him
and his friends when they came
other people.
over,"
Bonnie said. "When I would
Wednesday, May 13, began rou-
pick
him
up at Hillel,. Bradley's friends
tinely. David Otis left his family's
would
come
to the van to say 'hello'
Waterford home and took his stepson
to
Evan.
Bradley Pierce to school at
"He had a personality that
Hillel Day School.
Top: Eva n Otis
everyone
loved, and everyone
As he continued toward
with his parents,
gravitated
to him."
David an d
his office at Golden Valley
Bradley
is Bonnie's son
Dairy in Oak Park, his pager Bonnie.
from
a
first
marriage. Evan
buzzed twice: once with his
was
David's
first child. The
Bottom:
Bradley
office number, then again
couple
have
a second son, 1-
Pierce
with
with the office number and
year-old
Kyle.
brothers,
Kyle
911. He was told to call
"I had never been
and Evan Otis.
home and was then told by
around
babies so I never
his wife their son had died in
knew
what
to
expect,"
David
his sleep.
said.
"But
Evan
constantly
"He wasn't sick and there was no
amazed me in that he always
0.1 sign of anything wrong," David said.
had a smile, and he retained all
"He hadn't napped during the day, but
sorts of information."
it wasn't anything unusual. He went to
David's sister-in-law Elise,
sleep about 7:30 on May 12, and we
and
Evan's aunt, Michelle Otis,
never heard anything else."
both recall how their nephew
Bonnie Otis went to wake her son
picked up sayings or manner-
around 8:30 and found him face
isms from all his relatives and
down and not breathing. She called
imitated.
911 and then ran outside, calling for
"He could put on a show and
help.
entertain
us," Bonnie said. "He
Edie Lazar, a cardiac nurse at
ogv
was
so
bright
and he always had
William Beaumont Hospital and the
a
smile
on
his
face."
Otis's neighbor, came over when she
Elise
recalled
a point made by
heard Bonnie's cry. Bonnie, in the
Rabbi Herbert Yoskowitz of
meantime, had gone to help another
Beth Achim Synagogue, of which the
neighbor, Charlene Tester, who had
Otises are members. "The hardest part
slipped on her grass and been run
for Kyle is that he will know Bradley
over by the fire truck her husband
but never know Evan," she said.
was driving. He was on his way to
"They were so close and did every-
the Otis's house after receiving an
I—• emergency call.
thing together."
_
Said David, "Not a day goes by
Tester is listed in stable condition at
that
I don't tell Kyle that Evan loves
Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital.
him."
When Bonnie returned, she found
The support of family, friends and
Edie holding her son's body. "Edie
strangers
has softened the blow,
said she didn't want him to be alone,"
although the numbness hasn't receded.
Bonnie said.
"It's unfortunate that it takes a
A cause of death has not been

E

1-0

tes o
with their son s
sudden death.

'

tragedy like this to realize how much
people love you," David said. "We've
had people we've never met bring us
food and show support and come
over."
Said Bonnie, "The day of the
funeral was Lag B'Omer and there was
a field day at Hillel. Instead of some
of Bradley's friends participating and
having fun, they opted not to partici-
pate."
Bradley's hockey teammates also
stepped up to show support for their
teammate. At last•Friday night's
game, the team wore black arm-
bands and dedicated the game in
Evan's memory. Afterward, they
signed the game puck and presented
it to Bradley.
Hockey was a sport that Evan loved
because his older brother played it.
"He would come into the locker room
after every game I played," Bradley
said. "He would take a stick and puck
and play in the hallway, or take my
goalie stick and glove and pretend he
was catching the puck."
Evan even named the family dog
Zamboni, after the machine that
resurfaces the ice.
David appreciates the support he
and his family have received in the
week since the tragedy, but his biggest
concern is finding support when
the shiva ends.
"I've been to many services
for Jews and non-Jews and after
making a shiva call, I've gone
back to my own life and have
never followed up," he said. "I
don't know if I have solace yet
in anything, and I'm not sure
when I will. But I'm comfort-
able when people are around
and the support of the clergy
and friends and family."
The most difficult time for
Bonnie is in the morning.
"When I wake up Bradley and
Kyle, I'm supposed to wake
Evan up also," she said.
For David, the difficulty is at
night, when he usually tucked
in his son.
At the cemetery, Bradley picked
up the shovel and began putting dirt
on the coffin, David said. "He kept
on, getting faster and faster, putting
more dirt on," he said. "I think it
was his way of making sure Evan
was protected."
As the family got into the car to
leave, Bradley jumped out and ran
back to the grave, David recalled. "He
put his finger in the dirt and wrote, 'I
Love You.'" ❑

5/22
1998

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