Joseph R. Cotter Jr.

Joseph R. Cotter Jr., an innovative artist and passionate activist, known for championing murals in the Portland, Oregon area, died March 31, of cancer. He was 63. Joe Cotter was the husband of Kolieha Bush Cotter, Eagle Creek, Ore., father of Leon Cotter, Boston, and Noah, of Eagle Creek, Ore. Son of the late Joseph R. Cotter, MD, Newton, and Claire H. Cotter, Foxboro; brother of Susan White and husband, Gary White, Salem, N.H.; Constance Cotter Weisenseel and husband Arthur C. Weisenseel, MD, Nyack, N.Y.; Gerald E.Cotter and wife, Debbie, Hopkinton. He leaves many nephews, nieces, great nieces, great nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins and in-laws. Joseph grew up in Newton and later moved to Foxboro, where he was living when he enlisted in the U.S. Army in the fall of 1967. Mr. Cotter was trained by the army in heavy machinery repair, and utilized those skills in active duty in Vietnam. After returning to civilian life, Cotter attended UMass in Amherst (1971-75) and majored in journalism. He moved to Portland, Ore. in 1977, began creating artwork professionally in 1980, and participated in art shows beginning in 1982. He studied life drawing at Portland State U from 1983-1984. Two years after Cotter moved to Eagle Creek, he and his wife, Kolieha Bush, founded Chameleon's Garden, their studio space and the area's first art gallery. Mr. Cotter started painting murals in Portland in 1988 and started his long term relationship with the McMenamin brothers in 1990 as a muralist. In 1994, Cotter began painting murals as a member of the Artists Cooperative, "Artback". A Memorial Mass is scheduled for family and friends at Mary Immaculate of Lourdes, Newton, on Sat, Sept. 8th at 9AM. A Celebration of Life/Memorial for family and friends will be held at the home of Joe Cotter's mother (Claire Cotter) in Foxboro on Sat, Sept.8th, from 3-7PM. Contact Connie Cotter Weisenseel, ccotterweis@aol.com or 212 396-3605 for further info Contributions can be made to the Joe Cotter Memorial Mural Restoration Fund, PO Box 182, Eagle Creek, Ore 97022 (www.artbackmurals.com); or The Estacada Area Food Bank (in Joe's memory), PO Box 1196, Estacada, Ore 97023 (www.estacadaareafoodbank.com).