The man most responsible for achieving a Belgian Sister Cities relationship with Fountain Hills has died.

Walter Otten, former long-time mayor of Kasterlee, Belgium, passed away on Sunday, March 27. He was 85.

Fountain Hills’ Sister Cities program began with a phone call to Otten from Alan Cruikshank, publisher of The Fountain Hills Times and chairman of the newly formed Fountain Hills Sister Cities Committee. Cruikshank was appointed by Mayor Jerry Miles to serve as the chairman.

He was told to organize the committee and select a possible Sister City for Fountain Hills. One of the committee members, David Jackman, had traveled on business to a small town close to Antwerp, Belgium, called Kasterlee. He said, “It has the feel of Fountain Hills, except we live in a desert setting and Kasterlee is totally green with tall trees.”

After much discussion and correspondence with cities in Portugal and Australia, the committee decided on Kasterlee as the first match for a Sister City for Fountain Hills.

In May 1998, shortly before he left office, Miles, together with his wife Jackie, Cruikshank, Dr. Cyril and Vice Mayor Marianne Wiggishoff and committee members Phyliss and Bob Horan flew to Kasterlee to meet with Otten and sign a letter of intent form, creating a Sister Cities relationship between the two communities.

Otten was very firm in the discussions about his feelings in entering into a relationship with a town he did not know except through brochures and photographs. He did not enter into a formal agreement for another two years.

Sharon Morgan was elected mayor and her outgoing personality quickly won over Otten.

He did visit Fountain Hills with a group of Kasterlee officials prior to the official signing. Cruikshank, Morgan and the Horans later returned to Kasterlee with six students from Fountain Hills High School as a further show of good will.

The official papers were signed at the Town of Kasterlee Town Hall.

“As it turned out, Walter became our biggest ally on the Kasterlee town council on any votes for becoming a Sister City with us,” Cruikshank said. “And I think it would have killed the (Sister Cities) program (if Kasterlee had turned us down).”

Otten had a wide array of volunteerism and public service in his background.

On January 1, 1977, he became the first alderman in the newly merged municipality of Kasterlee, Lichtaart and Tielen.

He soon became acting mayor. From January 1983 to December 2005, as mayor of Kasterlee, he was the driving force behind many local and regional initiatives. He worked with the tourist office on touristic image of the green municipality.

Caring for people with disabilities was close to his heart. He was chairman of vzw‘t Margrietje for 20 years and when money had to be collected for a home for assisted independent living, Otten started the “Buy a stone” campaign. Together with Colonel Jean Van Gils, he was the father of the sponsorship relationship with 3 Para and for this, he was given the title of honorary paratrooper, of which he was particularly proud.

He invested in the modernization of the fire service’s fleet. The collaboration with the Swiss Plaffeien, where he visited the snow classes every year, and the Romanian Murgesti wereclose to his heart.

In 2011, he became an honorary citizen of the Municipality of Acatari for his support of Romania. He was also a pioneer in the region. Walter Otten was the founder, and for many years, chairman of the Conference of Kempen Mayors. He was active as a director of the regional inter-municipal company IOK and he was an important pioneer for the realization of the North-South Kempen.

When the police reform was not yet underway, he already made agreements about police cooperation with the neighboring municipality of Turnhout, which was pioneering work at the time. Walter was strongly rooted in local associations.

He was often seen riding around on a bicycle. He could make people enthusiastic and was a fascinating storyteller who was never short of a joke.

For many years, he was chairman of the Davidsfonds Department, director of Kaspar, which promotes friendships with 3Para. And in recent years, he was active at the Heemkundige Kring as a member of the editorial staff of the annual ‘Volkskalendar.’

Current Kasterlee Mayor Ward Kennes, the members of the college and city council and all employees of the municipal services offer their condolences to his wife, Tine, his children and grandchildren.

Flags will be flown at half-mast on Friday and Saturday at all Kasterlee municipal buildings, and also in front of the Town Hall in Fountain Hills.