William J. Cotter

1939 - 2019

William J. Cotter, 79, of Newington, died peacefully on Tuesday, June 18, 2019, at Yale-New Haven Hospital. For the past 54 years, he was the beloved husband of Barbara (Bell) Cotter. Born in Hartford on July 30, 1939, son of James and Alyce (Roman) Cotter, he lived in Hartford's north end, attending Saint Michaels School. In 1950 the family moved to Newington where he graduated from Newington High School, Class of 1957. After high school, he joined the 70th Special Rifle Company Marine Corps Reserves, where he served for six years as a team leader in a weapons platoon, machine gun section. In 1964 Bill was appointed a Newington police officer. He was promoted to Sergeant in 1969, Lieutenant in 1986 and was sworn in as Interim Chief of Police. He retired with over 30 years of service in 1994. He served as commander of the Patrol Division, the Detective Division, and the Community Outreach Unit. He assisted in the development of the first K-9 Unit with his German shepherd partner, Ringo. He assisted in the development of the first Emergency Response Team (SWAT) and was its first commander. He received commendations for command responsibility for homicide investigations, armed felony arrests, and an armed barricade hostage case which gained notoriety on the television show, 9-1-1. Bill was a graduate of the Chief of Police Academy, Command Training Institute at Babson College and the FBI National Academy 114th Session in Quantico, VA. He was a member of St. Mary's Church, Newington, a lifetime member of the Knights of Columbus Council No. 3884 and a member of the FBI National Academy Associates. Throughout his life, he was an avid and real outdoorsman. He traveled to Alaska to fish for king salmon and halibut and to Oregon's Cascade Range to hunt elk. He fished the waters off Block Island for shark and tuna and enjoyed his 23 ft. Mako boat named "Challenger." He was a certified scuba diver, diving in waters off Fishers Island. He and Barbara enjoyed times horseback riding on Mount Higby in Middlefield, where Bill rode his horse "Blackjack." Together they built a cabin on Forest Lake in the White Mountains in New Hampshire where they enjoyed the beauty of the outdoors. Bill adored solitude but welcomed the company of others. His family would like to extend its heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Nikolai Podoltsev and the staff of the Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven for their wonderful care. Loving and devoted to his family, along with Barbara, he leaves his son Michael Cotter and his wife Andi of Collegeville, PA; two daughters Kathleen Taylor and her husband Jason of Shrewsbury, MA, and Linda Dworak and her husband Bruce of Cromwell; and seven grandchildren Reiley, Avery and Liam Cotter, Madison and Emily Taylor, Olivia and Lily Dworak. He also leaves two brothers, James Cotter and his wife Lola of Farmington, John Cotter and his wife Joanne of North Ft. Myers, FL; a sister, Carolyn Carey of North Ft. Myers, FL; and several nieces and nephews. His funeral service will begin on Friday, June 28, 2019, at 9:00 a.m. at Duksa Family Funeral Homes at Newington Memorial, 20 Bonair Ave., Newington, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m. at St. Mary's Church, Newington. He will be laid to rest with military honors in West Meadow Cemetery, Newington. Relatives and friends are invited to call on Thursday, June 27 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Newington Memorial. Memorial donations may be made to the CSP K-9 Foundation, Inc., P. O. Box 3102, Meriden, CT 06450. To share a memory with Bill's family, please visit us at www.duksa.net.