Thomas R. Cotten Jr.

Thomas R. Cotten Jr. VIRGINIA BEACH - Capt. Thomas R. Cotten Jr. died at Oakdale Heights where he had resided for the past several years. Capt. Cotten was born in Charleston, S.C., in 1927 as the eldest child of Thomas R. Cotten Sr. and Mary O'Brien Cotten. He leaves a wife of 54 years, Martha Lanier Reeves Cotten; two sons, Thomas R. Cotten III of Winston-Salem, N.C., and Peter Tabb Cotten of Mount Pleasant, S.C.; two sisters, Mary Ann Nelson and Martha Johnson, both of Charleston; and six grandchildren. He was predeceased by a brother, Joseph Cotten. Capt. Cotten graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1952 and was assigned as gunnery officer on the USS Shannon. He spent two years on the USS Los Angeles before becoming flag secretary for Cruiser Division Five. Following that tour, he joined the faculty of the U.S. Naval Academy and later became commanding officer of the USS Nespelen, USS Earle B. Hall, USS Kirwin and USS Laffey. He served in Vietnam and later joined the staff of the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, R.I. Capt. Cotten was awarded the Legion of Merit, a Bronze Star, World War II Victory Ribbon, Vietnam Service Medal and Combat Action Ribbon. He retired from the U.S. Navy in 1978 and worked for Delex Systems in Washington, D.C., and Norden Systems in Virginia Beach. A memorial service will be held today at 4 p.m. in Oakdale Heights followed by a burial at sea. Memorial may be made to the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation, 291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402 or NAMI, P.O. Box 2343, Virginia Beach, VA 13450. Many thanks go to the staff at Oakdale Heights for the excellent care provided during his last years. Cremation Society of Virginia is assisting the family.