Richard Lewis "Lew" Cotton
Richard Lewis "Lew" Cotton
Obituary
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Richard Cotton Obituary
Mr. Cotton was class president and valedictorian at Lafayette High School. At the age of 16, he entered UNC-CH, where as a Sigma Chi, he earned his MBA. He served his country with honors in WW II. His lifelong career with GMAC was followed by an advisory position at Meredith College. He owned and operated the health foods and smoothie bar at the Spa Health Club at Northridge. Among his memberships were North Hills Club, North Ridge Country Club, Fun Golfers League, Civitans, Fairmont and St. Mark's Methodist and White Memorial Church. He helped and was loved by people from diverse backgrounds. His approach to overcome despair was inspiring to every witness.
Preceded in death by his wife, Doris S. Cotton, he is survived by daughter, Patricia "Cotton" Dean; grandchildren, Marcie Dean Corral, Emma Catherine Dean, and Jordan Alexander Dean, all of Raleigh; by his brother, Harold Cotton of Fuquay-Varina; by his beloved, Pat.
Funeral services were held on Friday April 20th at St. Mark's Methodist Church, with burial at Oakwood Cemetery, after which an open dinner was held in his honor in the atrium of The Velvet Cloak.
The family thanks Mitchell Funeral Home for outstanding service.
Final days care and family support provided by ADVANTAGE HOSPICE, the only excellent Hospice agency in our area. Please don't settle for less.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, you plant some perennials in your own yard to enjoy. Remember, God is watching.
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Earl Tilley
April 24, 2007
Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Lew was indeed a very special person and he will be greatly missed by all who knew him.
JERRY HUNDLEY
April 23, 2007
RICHARD L. COTTON FAMILY,
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ADVANTAGE HOSPICE TO SERVE YOU AT THIS SPECIAL TIME IN YOUR LIVES.
PERSONALLY I HAVE NEVER BEEN RECEIVED WITH SUCH DIGNITY AND APPRECIATION AS YOU HAVE SHOWN.
I WAS HONORED TO SERVE AT THE FUNERAL SERVICE AND AT THE CEMETERY.
I TRUST THE MUSIC AND SONGS WERE A VERY SPECIAL BLESSING.
MAY GOD'S SWEET GRACE AND STRENGTH BE WITH EACH OF YOU AS YOU GO "FORWARD IN FAITH".
CHAPLAIN JERRY W. HUNDLEY
ADVANTAGE HOSPICE AND HOME CARE
Jaisun McMillian
April 22, 2007
Please accept my deepest sympathies. You are always in my thoughts and prayers.
Cotton (Lew's daughter) Dean
April 22, 2007
Our family thanks all of you who have expressed support and love during this time. As there have been numerous requests for copies of the prayer I wrote and delivered during the graveside service, I am posting it here.
We are encouraged by your love.
Tricia
Dear God, our Heavenly Father,
Thank you for this day. Thank you for the love that gathers us here.
We are grateful that in you, we have life as you purposed for us, and that what we interpret as the end of life is really our glorious homecoming, where we are welcomed by your angels and saints who have preceded us.
Knowing this, we do not say goodbye. We prayerfully say “Godspeed”
to father, grandfather and friend, Richard Lewis Cotton. Here this day, we commit a box to the ground. This box holds nothing but a temporary vessel.
Richard Lewis Cotton is among the angels.
Father, show us how to trust you to provide our way from this place.
In you we find complete peace, joy and deliverance from the multitude of disappointments derived from living in a fallen world. We need and seek your grace for all the times we grant ourselves permission to question and doubt your perfect design, consequently casting shadows on our faith.
We take comfort in the knowledge that Lew’s suffering is over. We celebrate his vigilance to live and appreciate all things, even during the waning days when his ability to care for himself was reduced to the often limited provision of others. We know that his patience, kindness, wisdom and strength during this time were born of his unwavering Christian faith and devotion to you in all things.
We grieve his departure from our midst, asking that in your Grace you comfort each of us as we search to find peace with what we do not understand. Help us to trust that you will faithfully quiet our unanswered questions with your serenity, filling this new silence with your Love.
Transform our feelings of loss and despair into a greater love for others. We ask for your help in sustaining that love, as we are often poised to take offense from words and actions of those we love the most. We ask that you block from our hearts and minds the enemies of our Peace which are fear, confusion and hopelessness.
We need always to realize our powerlessness without your provision. In our frailty, we so readily question your plan for us. Please transform this grief within our hearts into a greater trust that we will be joyfully reunited in Heaven.
Heavenly Father, thank you for Life, for Love, for the morning when we rise, and for the evening when we must set aside all our endeavors and be still.
We thank you for the life of Lewis Cotton and for the precious time we shared with him.
We thank you for what we learned from his example: integrity, acceptance and courage. We thank you for the unique way he embraced his successes along with his limitations.
We thank you for enabling us to support him comfortably during his final days. We were blessed by his frequent expressions of delight to those of us providing him even the smallest assistance. He continued to enjoy, and he never complained.
We witnessed as he vigilantly celebrated the smallest successes. Lord, help us to adhere to this courageous model when our best plans are thwarted.
We thank you for our Families. Bless those from whom we are awkwardly distanced, and we ask that in your grace, you reunite our hearts from this day forward, in love. Help us to love others as Jesus commanded.
We thank you for how you are with us and will soon transform our darkest hours.
We thank you for showing us wisdom when we finally surrender our disappointment
We thank you that we are able to find rest in you when we become weary.
We thank you that our power in all matters is accessible when we cease from our striving, and pray to you.
We thank you for taking delight in us when no one else seems to.
We ask you to show us how to be grateful for all our days.
We thank you for comforting us in our grief. And as we must now adjust and go forward, we ask that you help us to do so faithfully, and with lightness of heart, and with Heavenward Hope.
And even when our Earthly bodies begin to fail us, or succumb to disease and death; when we lose the loved ones whose nearness provided us with security, when fear overtakes us, we thank you that our answers, all our comfort and our hope of the life to come abide in you.
Bind our hearts and minds so that as we proceed from this place, in understanding your eternal loving presence, we will be moved to desire a more vigilant pursuit of entrusting all that we are and all that we have to You.
Help us to understand that even when you do not calm the storm, you steady the rigging of our vessel. Help us to be grateful in all things.
Dear God, help us to glorify you with the whole of our days to come.
Dear God, Thank you for my Dad.
In the name of our Precious Savior Jesus Christ,
Amen
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JONYA PACE, ADVANTAGE HOSPICE AND HOMECARE CNA
April 20, 2007
Take comfort in knowing that now you have a special guardian angel to watch over you.
Sue McCorkle
April 20, 2007
Dear Trish (Cotton) and family,
Conor and I are so sorry for your loss. We send our love and prayers.
Roger Didio
April 20, 2007
Marcie, I'm so sorry for your loss. Your grandfather must have been a wonderful man, and I'm sure you will miss him very much. My prayers are with you and your family.
Lisa Eichorn
April 20, 2007
Marcie and Family,
Please accept my deepest sympathies and know that we are thinking of you all.
Jodi Coppinger
April 19, 2007
My condolences and love to Marcie and her family.
Sharon McMillian
April 19, 2007
No bond is as great as that between a parent and child. My deepest condolences are with you as you grieve.
Roger W. Wiggs
April 19, 2007
I am so saddened to learn of my dear old friend Lew's passing, but I celebrate his life and the good fortune I have indeed by just knowing him. I've never met a more positive person in my life, nor do I think I will. Lew always had a smile for you, time to listen to ya, time to joke with ya, and lie to ya bout his golf game! I first met Lew at North Ridge Health Spa there we became fast friends and golfing podgies. He and I lost many golf balls togehter in the woods out at Wil-Mar over the years. He also gave me valuable financial advice I wish I had listened to, and many times listened to all my problems & concerns never burdening me with his. Lew, you will be missed brother. I'll celebrate your life with your family and friends tomorrow buddy!
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