TOGUS – Sea Captain John S. Cottle, 81, of Avon, died Friday evening, Dec. 23, at Togus. In his words, “at last, a fair wind and a fair tide, home port with Jesus.”

He was born Oct. 6, 1924, in Providence, R.I., a son of Samuel Stanley and Genevieve (Courtney) Cottle. He attended Cranston schools and earned his GED from Brown University.

Mr. Cottle was a veteran, having volunteered to fight for his country during World War II. He joined the Navy and fought in the Pacific Theater and was honorably discharged in 1944.

The owner and captain of two commercial fishing vessels, the Barbara G and the Four Js, his home port was Pt. Judith, R.I. He was a charter member and past vice president of the Pt. Judith Fisherman’s Cooperative. He was very active in protecting the fishing industry by representing fisherman in fishing legislation, necessitating traveling to Washington, D.C. He was also instrumental in helping Italian divers locate the exact position of the sunken Andrea Doria. Due to injuries at sea, he was forced to give up fishing and moved to Maine where he was a noted entrepeneur.

On April 15, 1973, he married Glennice Pinkham in Phillips. A Maine real estate broker, he also was the former owner of the Fairfield Mobile Home Park in Fairfield and developed the Cascade Leisure Park off of High Street in Farmington. He proudly built Farmington’s first Montessori School on Prescott Street.

He was a man of great faith. He was a communicant of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, served as a eucharistic minister and was a member of the Knights of Columbus.

He will be remembered as a “people person” who would engage in conversation with folks anytime, anywhere and was never intimidated. An avid reader, he especially enjoyed studying spiritual and theological readings.

Survivors include his wife of 32 years, Glennice, of Avon; two sons, James Joseph Cottle of St. Georges, Granada, West Indies, and Jeremiah John Cottle Esq., of Washington, D.C.; one brother, Sam Cottle Jr. of Albion; one sister, Grace Beaudet of Ellisville, Miss.; three nieces; two nephews; and many cousins.

He was predeceased by a son, John Jeffrey Cottle.

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