Samantha Kaye Cotner

A visitation will be held from 4 to 7 pm on Friday, September 26, 2025 at East Lawn Funeral Home, 1102 Airport Rd, Bloomington, IL. Cremation rites will be accorded after the visitation.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Organization for Understanding Congenital Hearts (https://www.osfhealthcare.org/foundation/donate-now, specify "TOUCH" in comments.)

To express condolences online, please visit www.eastlawnmemorial.com

She was born October 6, 1982 in Decatur, daughter of Mark and Gail Polmonari Nunnery. She married Jason M. Cotner on December 6, 2008 in Bloomington.

Surviving are her husband, Jason; their daughter, Evelyn Cotner, both of Bloomington; her parents, Mark and Gail Nunnery, Clinton; two sisters, Sara (John) Olson, Champaign and Laura (Jason) Deerwester, Clinton and her maternal grandmother, Selma Polmonari. Also surviving are one nephew, Caden Deerwester; two nieces, Lila Deerwester and Layla Cotner; her father-in-law, Michael (Helen) Cotner, Ft. Myers, FL and her brother-in-law, Brandon (Lindsey) Cotner, Las Vegas, NV.

She enjoyed her work in the school cafeteria for Unit 5 School District, Normal.

Samantha enjoyed going to zoos and watching the animals. Her favorite was Rico the Brazilian porcupine at the Cincinnati Zoo. She took pride in cooking for her family & making sure they ate all their veggies. Although not able to as much as she wanted, she loved to travel. She especially loved that she got to visit Italy and eat all the gelato she could. Snuggling under a warm blanket on a cold day and taking a nap was like a hobby to her. She found comfort and happiness watching her British television dramas. Sam loved watching movies and especially the yearly tradition of a "Hobbit" and "Lord of the Rings" trilogy marathon on the couch with her beloved daughter and husband. She always looked forward to attending the state fair to visit with the animals and eat all that she could. Sam loved being a lunch lady because she got to serve the children healthy meals and seeing them grow through the years. While not always the most talkative her heart was full when she got to spend time talking with her family and friends. Sharing stories and making memories. She loved EVERYTHING about her baby girl Evelyn. Nothing else made her heart happier.

Sam was a loving and caring woman who appreciated everyone in her life. Though her life was difficult at times, she always managed to remain positive about her situation. She was thankful for the teams of doctors and nurses who cared for her during the most difficult times, especially those at the Congenital Heart office at St. Francis Hospital in Peoria.

Evelyn and Jason, like all of you, will miss her deeply. We are grateful to all of those who have and continue to support us. While our hearts hurt with her loss the memories we have will last far longer than the pain.