Col. Robert Daryl Cotton, US Army (ret.)'s Obituary
TALLAHASSEE, FL - Colonel Robert D. Cotton (Bob), 75, retired, passed away on Saturday May 15, 2021. Bob was born in Charlotte, NC on March 2, 1946. At age 5 he moved with his family to Clearwater, FL. While attending Clearwater High School he made many lifelong friends and was an active member of the student council, track, and basketball teams. Bob led the Clearwater Tornado’s basketball team to victory as captain his senior year (1964).
After graduating, Bob enlisted in the United States Army. He attended basic training at Ft. Jackson, SC and advanced individual training at Ft. Devens, MA where he earned the MOS 05H, Morse Interceptor. He was promoted to Sergeant, E-5 and was selected for Infantry Officer Candidate School where he graduated as a second lieutenant. He attended airborne training at Ft. Benning, GA and the Intelligence Officer Basic Course at Ft. Holabird, MD prior to shipping out to Phung Hiep, the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. He served as a subsector intelligence advisor to the South Vietnamese Army and was involved in over 50 search and destroy operations, being injured once. During this tour of duty he was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, the Vietnam Service Medal, and the Bronze Star for Meritorious Service in Operations against hostile forces.
After his service in Vietnam, Bob attended Florida State University and was on the basketball team. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science and a Masters degree in International Relations. In 1972 he married Martha Maddox (married 21 years). Continuing his military career, he joined the 160th Military Police Battalion in the U.S. Army Reserve and branch transferred to Military Police. He served as battalion S-1, S-4, and a Command and General Staff College Instructor.
Bob realized early on that he had a passion for mentoring. This led him to pursue several different roles in education throughout his life beginning in college as a graduate assistant instructor at Florida State and later as a high school history teacher for the Hernando County School Board. He taught real estate courses at Tallahassee Community College and several technical courses for a variety of programs at Angley and Fortis Colleges later in his career. He was an instructor at the 3391st U.S. Army Reserve Forces School in Jacksonville, Florida and was presented the Command Sergeant Major’s Award for his caring leadership and team building techniques.
In the early 1980’s Bob was blessed with three beautiful daughters Laura, Jennifer, and Amanda. He was a very loving father and would do anything to make his girls happy. He always put his family first. During the most difficult times he kept a strong, positive, and playful demeanor to ensure the stability and happiness of his children. He was active in his daughters' lives and took a personal interest in their development and education. He made weekly trips to their elementary school and read books to their classes. On several occasions he shared stories of his military experiences with the children's classes and brought pictures and articles from other countries for show-and-tell. He was an active member of the Parent Teacher Organization for several years, even serving as president. The girls always looked forward to surprise lunch visits with their dad at school. At home he enjoyed playing basketball and, especially, H-O-R-S-E with them. Bob was not only adored by his children but also their friends. He treated the children’s friends as his own and created a welcoming and safe home environment for friends and family.
Bob had a strong work ethic with an entrepreneurial approach, a warm smile, and an ever growing repertoire of jokes that guaranteed he made friends wherever he went. He operated multiple businesses simultaneously and was always looking for new opportunities for growth. Early in his career he worked for the Florida League of Cities. He was the owner and operator of the Cactus Motel in the mid 1970’s, and several years later he rehabilitated a historic home into a Bed and Breakfast. In the late 70’s and early 80’s, he was a partner of Wolfe and Cotton Real Estate. He was a member of the Tallahassee Board of Realtors and was a Million Dollar Producer. He spent several years at the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation and became a division director. After DBPR he worked for the Department of Health and was head of the fluoride program. He retired with the State of Florida working in the Department of Health in the inspector general’s office. During his time with the State of Florida he founded a private company, Cotton Candy Vending, and continued his career with the military. Bob retired as a full Colonel from the U.S. Army Reserve in 1996 as the Commander of the Health Services Brigade in Jacksonville, Florida with almost 32 years of service.
Basketball was always a big part of Bob’s life. He loved the game from a very young age and became quite good at it. He played on several teams in his early years, and he was competitive overseas during his tour in Vietnam. After playing in college he found great pleasure in playing on his lunch break at the Christian Life Center in Tallahassee, FL. He played basketball there over the course of several decades and met many wonderful friends. It was here that he met Debra Hall and Bob became smitten. Debra and Bob’s relationship grew into a loving partnership, and they became inseparable in his last years of life.
Throughout Bob’s professional career he was an avid real estate investor. He enjoyed remodeling homes at night and on weekends. He found joy in bringing the properties back to life and felt a sense of accomplishment with each completed home. His unique perspective to invest in not only real estate but also the communities themselves led him to spend more of his time supporting, mentoring, and building relationships with tenants and neighbors, many of whom he considered family.
Bob lived life to the fullest. He was the ultimate repository of jokes and was well known for telling the same joke more than once. He loved spending time with his family and playing with his grandchildren. He was humble and lived a simple life, although he accomplished so much. He lived by example and encouraged others to be the best they could be.
Bob leaves behind loving friends and family including his companion Debra Hall of Quincy, FL; sister and brother in-law Marcia and Charles Everingham of Longview, TX; daughter and son-in-law Laura and Curt Mills of Tallahassee, FL; daughter Jennifer Cotton of Safety Harbor, FL; daughter and son-in-law Amanda and Brett Fox of St. Petersburg, FL; granddaughters Allyson and Georgia Grace Mills, Clara Fox, and Evelyn Rose Presbury; nieces and nephews and their families Chris Cotton (Susan), Claire Cotton, Chad Everingham (Wendi), Sarah Everingham, Teresa Everingham, childhood friend Paul (Gloria) Boisvert, former wife Martha Maddox, and a host of extended family in Florida, Texas, Georgia, and Alabama.
A memorial will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, June 4, 2021, at the Tallahassee National Cemetery, 5015 Apalachee Pkwy, Tallahassee, FL 32311.
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