Auburn – Dr. Otis Pennell Tibbetts, 72, of Auburn, died Wednesday evening at his home suddenly.

Born in Boston, Mass., April 8, 1936, a son of the late Dr. Otis B. and Edith Pennell Tibbetts, he graduated from Edward Little High School in the class of 1954, and from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1959. A small group of cadets sought commissions in the Marine Corps, the first to be allowed to join since 1814. He was one of seven Marine officers commissioned June 3, 1959.

After his discharge from the U.S. Marine Corps, he decided to pursue a career in medicine.

He graduated from the University of Vermont School of Medicine in 1967, and interned at Maine Medical Center in Portland the following year.

Deciding to go into anesthesiology, he completed his residency in Johnstown, Pa. in 1971, and moved his family to Auburn, where he practiced anesthesia at Central Maine Medical Center for the next 30 years, retiring in 2001.

He was a member of the Maine Medical Association, The St. Andrews Society, The Mayflower Society, The Androscoggin Fish and Game Association, American Society of Anesthesiology and The Association of Graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

He was an Eagle Scout who enjoyed many outdoor activities.

In his retirement he enjoyed several hobbies, including reading, gardening, sports and was a lifetime history enthusiast with a special interest in the Civil War period.

Otis’ dry wit was always entertaining.

He will be remembered as a thoughtful father, husband and grandfather, one with many talents and a very generous heart.

He is survived by his wife, the former Maureen J. McMahon of Auburn, whom he married Aug. 25, 1962; a daughter, Elizabeth T. Pullar and her husband, Dr. David Pullar, of Brisbane, Australia; his sons, David M. Tibbetts of Hampden and Andrew C. Tibbetts of Lewiston; his grandchildren, Andrew, Sarah and Jane Pullar; a brother, Col. Walter P. Tibbetts and his wife, Wendy, of Carlisle, Pa.; and a sister, Marcia Fallon of Boston, Mass.