Carl Theodore Mottek was born to Dr. Felix and Kaethe Mottek in Breslau, Germany in 1928. He passed away peacefully on Sunday, March 29, 2020 at the age of 91 in Dallas, Texas. His family emigrated to the United States during the 1930s and joined relatives in Youngstown, OH. He graduated from Cleveland Heights High School in 1946 and postponed college to join the United States Marine Corps. After serving with the 1st Marine Division in North China, he attended Michigan State University, where he was a campus leader and recipient of numerous honors, graduating from the School of Hotel Management. In January 1952, Carl moved to Puerto Rico and joined the Caribe Hilton, where he met the love of his life, Joan, and began a distinguished, life-long career with Hilton Hotels. With his love of Food and Beverage and Hotel Operations, he advanced through the company for 42 years and helped create dynamic, trend setting restaurants, first class lodging establishments and entertainment venues.
Carl attended the prestigious Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School in 1984 before beginning his tenure as President, Hilton Hotels Division, and member of the Board of Directors in Beverly Hills, CA.
In 1994, he retired and settled in Santa Barbara, CA. Carl served on non-profit boards including the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Casa Dorinda, Ridley-Tree Cancer Center and was President of Birnam Wood Golf Club. In 2011, Carl and Joan moved to the Edgemere, in Dallas, TX.
Carl cherished traveling and time spent with family and friends, especially on his boat, the Kona Kai in Chicago and Atlanta, and playing golf with his children and grandchildren in Santa Barbara. Carl was a devoted husband, a generous father and respected business leader, an optimistic man of unquestionable integrity and character, a wise and caring friend who positively impacted those who knew him.
He is survived by his wife Joan, his source of strength and support for 67 years. He will be lovingly missed by his three children: his daughters Gwen Mottek Longino of Dallas; Lynn Mottek Clayton and her husband Steve of Houston; his son Peter Mottek and his wife Mercedes of Boca Raton, FL. Carl and Joan have six grandchildren and one great-grandchild: Beau Longino of Dallas; Libby Longino Cohen, her husband Jake, and son Micah of Austin; Brittany Clayton Friedberg and her husband Stephen of San Jose, CA.; Alan Clayton and his wife Becca of Houston; Dominique Mottek Neto and her husband Pedro Neto of Dallas and his namesake Carl Mottek, II of Dallas.
A private family service will be held in the near future. If you so choose to make a donation, please consider The Salvation Army, North Texas Area Command, P.O. Box 36006, Dallas, TX 75235 or give.salvationarmytexas.org.
