David Charles Cotter

Sept 3, 1935 – Nov 15, 2011

David was born in Dromore, Northern Ireland and went to school at the Omagh Academy. He continued his studies at Queens University, Belfast, where he studied Geology. After completing his BSc in Geology he spent the next four years at a diamond mine in Tanganyika, East Africa.

He returned to Ireland and married Patricia Patterson in 1964 before travelling back to Africa where their first child David James was born. A few years later they returned to Ireland where David started a PhD thesis and his second son Deane was born in 1967.

After completing his PhD, David and his young family immigrated to Canada where he worked briefly as a mine Geologist in Flin Flon Manitoba. In 1969 David secured his ‘dream job’ working as a petroleum geologist in Calgary. During this time his third son Ralph was born in 1971 and sadly his wife Pat died in 1982. David endured further sadness when his son Deane died in tragic circumstances in 1988.

In 1990 David met Nettie Pasieczka who had a 12 year old daughter, Crystal. David and Nettie married in 1999 and moved to Denman Island, B.C. in 2001. Here David fulfilled his lifetime dream of living somewhere with a view of the ocean and the mountains.

David is survived by his wife Nettie, his sons David, Ralph, his daughter Crystal and his adoring grandchildren Emma, Maddy, Grace, Fergus and David.

David lived life to the fullest. He was an adventurer who never stopped doing the things he loved. Hang-gliding, kayaking, gardening and wine making were just a few of his hobbies. He was kind, gentle and loving and everyone that he touched was better for knowing him. He will always be remembered.

Arrangements under the direction of Piercy's-Mt. Washington Funeral Home, Courtenay, BC.