Ralph Evans "Terry" Cotter III

1941 - 2025

Ralph Evans Cotter III (Terry) passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 14 at Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto, CA. Terry was born on September 12, 1941 as the son of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph E. Cotter, Jr., of Oakland, CA, and grandson of Major and Mrs. Winfield S. Overton of Piedmont, CA and Mr. and Mrs. Ralph E. Cotter, Sr., of Oakland, CA.

Terry attended Montclair Grammar School, then Piedmont Jr. and Sr. High School. He then studied at Menlo College and graduated from Arizona State University with a major in journalism. He also served in the California National Guard.

His life-long passion for Africa and animal conservation developed in high school when he first traveled to Africa with his aunt, uncle and cousins. After college, he went back on a solo motorcycle journey riding from Germany to the southernmost part of Africa. This adventure turned his interest from journalism to travel and he opened the International Travel Guild in San Francisco where he specialized in African tours and treks. Later in his life, his great love for African animals led him to meaningful work with Safari West in Sonoma County, California, and White Oak, the internationally recognized conservation center in Yulee, Florida.

Terry dedicated his life to coaching disabled and able-bodied athletes across the globe. An avid cyclist, he participated in charitable rides such as Best Buddies, Sea to Shining Sea, and Face Across America, each dedicated to improving the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He served as a Team Leader for The Vietnam Challenge, a transformative bicycle journey that brought together able-bodied and disabled American and Vietnamese veterans riding from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. His leadership also extended to AXA Worldride 1995, a 13,000-mile global bicycle journey with 10,000 participants-disabled and able-bodied-riding together across continents. It was during Worldride that he met his beloved wife, Eliza Cotter, who matched his energy and enthusiasm for so many wonderful adventures.

He guided and encouraged athletes on some of the most inspiring stages, including carrying the Olympic Torch for the 1984 Los Angeles Games and the Paralympic Torch at the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics, where he also coached the Afghan Paralympic Bicycling Team. He coached Special Olympics track and field in Marin County for over 30 years and taught adaptive skiing at Achieve Tahoe in Lake Tahoe for six seasons. He climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro five times, twice leading Special Olympic athletes on the trek.

He is survived by his wife, Eliza Cotter, sister, Susan Johnson, daughter, Hannah Cotter, step-children Kelsey Klementowicz and Britt Engelbrecht, and grandchildren, Micah, Brooks and Cameron.

To honor Terry's legacy, the family kindly requests that donations be made to Barnabas Center 1303 Jasmine St. Fernandina Beach, Florida 32034 or BarnabasNassau.org.