Bob Cotton passed away on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2003 in the Chilliwack Hospital at the age of 94.
Bob is survived by his son Gerald of Coleman, AB, his son-in-law Bob Boucher of Sardis, three grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren: Glen (Roxanne) Boucher of Chilliwack (Joshua, Lindsey); Vicki (Alex) MacDonald of Sardis (Angus, Hanna, Duncan, Stewart); Wendy (Byron) Morrison of Rosedale (Karlie, Abby, Bryce); and his brother, Leonard (Lynn), of Martinez, CA.
Bob is predeceased by his wife of 65 years, Etta; daughter, Dorothy; two brothers, Jack and Charlie; and two sisters, Joyce and Doris.
Bob was born and grew up around the Kelliher, SK area and knew the hardship of the Depression era, farming 14-hour workdays with horse teams—all for $1 a day, room and board.
After marrying Etta and starting a family, they moved to and lived in Calgary for a few years where he delivered milk with horse and wagon.
They then moved out to Vancouver where he worked for the BC Electric Co. for 14 years, driving street cars and buses.
He then spent a year as a real estate salesman which lead to the chance to get back to the life he really enjoyed the most—horses, hunting, fishing and being outdoors by buying a small ranch and a guiding and outfitting business in the East Kootenays, Elk Valley area.
After years of operating the guiding business with his wife and son, the family then moved into the Crowsnest Pass area of Alberta. There his wife, Etta, ran the local Credit Union while he spent a season guiding in the Northwest Territories. He then settled down to caretaking a closed power plant facility.
Bob and Etta eventually retired to a few acres of land in Creston, BC, where he puttered around with his fruit trees, a few horses, and continued his hunting and fishing activities.
After suffering a heart attack in 1991, he and Etta moved to Chilliwack to be closer to, and under the care of, daughter and son-in-law Dorothy and Bob.
Bob enjoyed his remaining years in Chilliwack, especially with the “seniors” crowd. Lunching at the Time Out drop-in centre playing cribbage hot-tubbing at Parkholm Lodge, and shooting snooker and pool at the Chilliwack Seniors’ Centre.
Cremation by Henderson’s Funeral Home. A private family internment service at the family plot at Chilliwack Cemeteries was held on Nov. 27, 2003.