Damartha Angela Cotner

Damartha Angela Cotner was born to Lawrence John Danisi and Domenica Adrienne Minerva Danisi in Fresno, California on December 24, 1953. Dee graduated from Roosevelt High school in 1972. After attending Fresno City College, she went to work for Liberty Mutual in Fresno. At Liberty Mutual, she met her future husband, William Cotner, son of Roy Cotner and Eva Garbarino Cotner. After a year of courtship, Damartha and William were married on October 11, 1975, at St. John’s Cathedral in Fresno.

In 1978, Dee gave birth to their son Alex. A few years later, she went to cosmetology school and worked as a cosmetologist for 35 years. She owned her own shop at home, ‘Country Curls Beauty Salon’, where she served many customers, and developed friendships over the years.

In January of 2008, Dee and Bill welcomed their daughter in law, Ruth Bevans, into the family. They eventually welcomed two granddaughters, Abigail in 2011 and Lillianna in 2016. Dee’s granddaughters were the light of her life, spending every moment she could, baby sitting, teaching them how to cook and crochet, as well as styling their hair.

In 2004 Dee was diagnosed with Breast cancer. This would be a battle that she would wage for the next 20 years. She passed away at 9:15 am, on January 9, 2025, with her husband by her side, at the age of 71. Dee was preceded in death by her father and mother, Lawrence and Domenica (Mae) Danisi, as well as her in-laws Roy and Eva Cotner. She is survived by her husband Bill, son Alex, daughter-in-law Ruth, granddaughters Abigail and Lillianna, sisters Joanne (John) Thibodeaux and Irana (Glenn) Horomian, along with many nieces and nephews.

Services will be held at Reedley Mennonite Brethren Church, in Reedley, CA., on Monday, February 10th at 10:00am.