James Cota

James Albert Cota, Sr.

1944-2012 PITTSFIELD James Albert Cota, Sr., 68, of 163 Montgomery Avenue Ext., Pittsfield, a longtime resident of Berkshire County, died Wednesday, November 7, 2012, at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield after a short illness.

Born in Memphis, Tennessee, on November 3, 1944, the son of Albert and Betty Meek Cota, he was educated in Williamstown schools and was a 1962 graduate of Mt. Greylock Regional High School, and earned an associates degree in Science in 1976 from Berkshire Community College.

He served with honor in the United States Air Force from July 1963 to July 1970, including as a MP protecting Minute Man missile silos in Missouri, and deployments to Vietnam and Pakistan. He was also nominated for assignment to the Presidential Honor Guard.

Upon his return to the Berkshires, Mr. Cota was a Police Officer . He began his career with the Williamstown Police Department as a provisional officer and then served with the Pittsfield Police Department from 1975 until 1986, retiring on a service related disability.

Following his retirement, he owned a document preparation service for many years.

Mr. Cota was a member of the Massachusetts Police Association, the Retired State, County & Municipal Employees Assn. of Massachusetts and a proud member of the Disabled American Veterans.

He was also a Massachusetts Notary Public appointed in 1992.

He enjoyed traveling to the Caribbean, snorkeling, scuba diving, reading, and puttering around his home and garden with his wife.

Mr. Cota leaves his wife, the former Kathleen A. Tuttle, whom he married March 13, 1982.

Besides his wife, he leaves a daughter, Tracey Butler and her husband, Allan, of Athol, and their children, Craig and Nathaniel "Nate"; a son, James A. Cota, Jr., and his wife, Sharon, of Wrentham; his uncles Dick and Bill and their families, the extended Tuttle family; who have embraced him as more than just "Uncle Jim", wonderful neighbors and far-flung friends. He will be sorely missed.

FUNERAL NOTICE: A memorial celebration of Jim's life will be held later this month at a date and time to be announced.

At his request, there are no calling hours. In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Mr. Cota may be made to the Heart and Vascular Critical Care Unit at Baystate Medical Center in care of DERY FUNERAL HOME, 54 Bradford Street, Pittsfield.