Obituary: Mihaela Otto

Mihaela loved her new home city

Her name was Mihaela, but the fact she liked to be known as Michelle is a clue to how, despite being brought up in Romania, Mihaela Otto loved London to the core.

She moved to the capital in 1984, following in the footsteps of her sister Dania Gorodi, who had married and settled in the city.

In Michelle's eyes, it was simply the best city in the world, according to Mrs Gorodi.

She loved the shopping and the entertainment, but also the freedom created by London's anonymity. Deep down, Ms Otto, 46, was an introverted woman and "the best listener".

Raised in the Christian Orthodox church, she lived in Mill Hill, north London, part of a close-knit, multi-faith family.

She and her mother Elena Draganescu, 78, shared the home with Dania, her Jewish husband Matthew, and their two teenage sons, Leah and Michael.

'Expensive tastes'

The prospect of not having children had begun to weigh heavily on Ms Otto's mind, said her sister, but it didn't stop her from getting the most out of life.

She was the most generous, warm-hearted, non-judgemental person Dania Gorodi

An avid reader, Ms Otto was described by her sister as generous, kind and someone with "expensive tastes".

Twice a week she met friends to play poker, but her favourite way to pass a few hours was venturing into the glitzy shops of Regent Street and the stylish boutiques of Bond Street.

"She had had expensive tastes and she spent far more than she could afford," Mrs Gorodi told the Evening Standard, "especially on designer goods."

'Warm-hearted'

That fondness for the finer things in life was in evidence on the morning of 7 July when Ms Otto set off for her job as a dental technician in Knightsbridge, carrying her beloved Louis Vuitton handbag.

She relied on the Northern Line for her daily commute, but with delays affecting that branch of the Tube, she was forced to switch to the Piccadilly Line.

She died, along with 24 others at the hands of a suicide bomber.

"Everyone adored her," Ms Gorodi told the Evening Standard. "She was the most generous, warm-hearted, non-judgemental person - she'd spend £50 on a present if she was invited for dinner, even though she earned less than £1,000 a month."