Garland L Cotter

Red Cotter, 88, of Weatherford, Oklahoma, passed away Saturday, July 9th, 2016. Red was born September 20, 1927, to Charles (Ed) and Viola Cotter in Carnegie, Oklahoma. Red served as a Merchant Marine. He was united in marriage to Mary Ellen (Satterlee) on April 29, 1946 in Oklahoma City, OK.
Red was a member of the First Baptist Church in Carnegie.Red was raised South of Carnegie around Saddle Mountain. His family moved to Oklahoma City around 1941. Red and his younger brother LeRoy pulled a red wagon to Nichols Hills and cleaned out garages for spending money, he was always an entrepreneur! At 16 he and a couple of friends traveled to California to work in the shipyards. Soon after they arrived a truancy officer caught up with Red, and threatened to send him back home if he didn't start attending school in California. To keep a low profile, he got a job in a bowling alley setting pins, where he also lived. After a short time, he went back to Oklahoma, then returned to Califiornia to join the Merchant Marines. To be able to join, he told them he was older than he was, he went to boot camp at Catalina Island, CA, then shipped out on a fuel tanker in the Pacific. When he came back to Oklahoma he started dating Mary Ellen. When it was time to go back out again, he couldn't get the job he wanted on the ship, and he missed his new love very much, so he borrowed money from his Uncle Joe and traveled back to Oklahoma. They were married soon after, Red was 18 and Mary Ellen was 15. Red worked in his father-in-law's back yard Welding Shop, as a mechanic. Ten months after they wed, they welcomed their first child, Jimmy. A couple of years later they were devastated by the loss of their second baby David Michael. They moved out of that home and soon welcomed baby boy #3, 6 years later baby boy #4, then finally #5, who was a baby girl. They often laughed about the fact that every time they moved, they had a baby, until they moved to Carnegie.
Red had a variety of occupations, he peddled produce, hauled ice, was a truck driver, worked at Perfection Equipment, Tinker Fields and Oklahoma Engine Service as a Foreman. During his time there he built a house, for his family on weekends, with a hand saw. He finally got the opportunity to run his own garage in OKC in the 50s.
In 1964 he rented a Salvage yard in Carnegie from Bill Buchanan. He and oldest son Jimmy drove from OKC to Carnegie every day, they had to make money so they could buy gas to drive back to home. Times were very lean for the family during that time, and many sacrifices were made so Red and Mary Ellen could move to a smaller community to raise their family. After about 6 months they had the money to rent a home in Carnegie, where they lived 47 years. His 3 sons joined the family business as they got old enough. He made many improvements to the business, he built a paint and body shop and a garage, sold used cars and ran a 24-hour Wrecker Service. The business supported many families over the 30 years he owned the business. He was a member of the Carnegie Chamber of Commerce and Round-Up Club.
Shortly before he retired,he and Mary Ellen opened a used store in Ft. Cobb, OK.They had fun going to auctions buying inventory for their new business. When he retired he became a Handy Man, he had many customers and enjoyed it very much, he also continued to use his mechanic skills at the shop at his house, he was busier than ever!
Over the years Red and Mary Ellen took the family on many summer vacations all over the U.S. Camping was also fun family outings. When the kids got older they took several trips a year in their Motor Home. Many of those trips involved a yearly trip to Chandler, Arizona to visit their son Rick and family for Thanksgiving.
In 2005 Red lost the love of his life to cancer, while he was battling cancer himself. There were many heartaches still to come for Red, one year after losing Mary Ellen, he lost his oldest granddaughter Debra, shortly after childbirth, one year later his youngest son, Steve suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury, which left him totally disabled, and only two years ago he lost his oldest son Jimmy. Red was alone in their big house, so to keep his mind busy he learned to use the internet to email and FaceBook, with a little help from his kids and brother, he was in eighties. Red was able to live on his own until his cancer from 2004 returned in 2012. He lived the final 4 ½ years with his daughter Terri and son-in-law Greg in Weatherford. Many more beautiful memories were made. His grandchildren and great grandchildren loved him very much. To say he will be missed, is an understatement. We will miss his optimism, humor, ability to fix anything, stories and his presence, having him in our lives was truly a blessing, and he was the best Dad a child could ever happened.

Survivors include two sons: Rick Cotter and wife Marcia of Chandler, AZ
Steve Cotter and wife Elba of Fort Cobb, OK

one daughter: Terri Trent and husband Greg of Weatherford, OK
grandchildren: Candyce Cotter of Chandler, AZ Ricky Cotter and wife Terra of Chandler, AZ
Chelsea Cotter of Chandler, AZ
Kyle Cotter of Weatherford, OK
Brandon Cotter of Weatherford, OK
Daryl Nix and wife DaNel of Sickles, OK
Austin Nix and wife Jessica of Carnegie, OK
Cody Webster and wife Brittney of Weatherford, OK,

12 great- grandchildren with one on the way
4 great-great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

4 brothers: Lloyd Cotter , Lexington, OK (deceased)
Leslie Cotter, Swan Lake, OK(deceased)
Leroy Cotter of Bixby, OK
Ray Cotter and wife Geenie of Newcastle, OK
He is preceded in death by his wife, parents, two sons; Jimmy Cotter, and infant son David Michael Cotter, one grandson Brian Christopher Cotter, and one grand-daughter Debra Cotter.
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 AM, Wednesday, July 13 2016 at the First Baptist Church in Carnegie, Oklahoma with Dr. Arthur Blount officiating. Burial to follow at the Carnegie Cemetery.