Michael Joseph Cotter

Born on December 16, 1956, in Bronx, New York, Michael was the beloved son of the late Cecilia (Mullen) and Richard Cotter. He was the second of six children and is survived by his siblings Mary Cotter-O’Malley, Cecelia Fata, Eileen Donovan, Richard Cotter & Elizabeth Wallace.

Michael graduated from St. Helena's High School, Bronx, NY, in 1974, and Lehman College, Bronx, NY, in 1980 with a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting. He began his dedicated career with the United States Postal Service as a letter carrier. After moving to Washington, D.C. in 1989, he worked at the USPS Headquarters in the Finance Department as a Budget Analyst. Michael continued to work at USPS until his retirement in 2015, after 37 years of service.

For those who knew Michael, he was a kind and soft-spoken man. Due to his hard work ethic, he kept himself and his family busy with many house and weekend projects. He enjoyed coaching his children’s youth athletic teams and, with his thick noticeable Bronx accent, was a favorite among his children’s peers when tasked with carpool duty. Michael liked waking up early on weekends to go on long bike rides on the W&OD trail with neighbors, returning home to listen to his favorite financial radio show, The Wise Investor. After retirement, he enjoyed spending time at his local Rec Center, Cub Run, and spending time at his beach house in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, going for walks on the beach with his wife & beloved dog, Gabby.

Michael is survived by his loving wife of 38 years, Lillian Wielunski Cotter; his daughter Kristina Childress and her husband Nate Childress of Clifton, Virginia, along with his grandchildren Camilla and Owen Childress; his daughter Kaitlyn Cotter and her fiancé Samuel Schor of Washington, D.C.; and his son Daniel Cotter and his wife Amanda Rogers of Alexandria, Virginia. He was a devoted family man who cherished every moment spent with his loved ones.

A funeral service will be held at St. Timothy Catholic Church on Friday, August 9th, at 10:30 AM. Friends and family are invited to join in celebrating Michael’s life and legacy.

A live stream will also be available: https://vimeo.com/event/4481197

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Michael's memory may be made to Capital Caring Health or the Alzheimer’s Association. Donations can be made online at https://capitalcaring.funraise.org/ or https://www.alz.org/get-involved-now/donate

Michael will be remembered for his kindness, generosity, witticisms and unwavering love for his family. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him.