William "Bill" Joseph Cotter, Jr.
“I was born down on A Street, raised up on B Street; Southie is my home town. There’s something about it; permit me to shout it….it’s the tops for miles around. We have doctors and scrappers, preachers, and flappers and men from the old County Down…Say they’ll take you and break you but never forsake you in Southie, my home town.”
Bill Cotter was born November 5, 1947 during a terribly harsh winter to William “Bucky” Cotter and Helen Farady Cotter. His early years were spent on Charles Street in Boston, and South Boston, as well as Berlin, New Hampshire, and in Quincy, Mass. He was educated in Boston Public Schools, including Boston Latin, and graduated from North Quincy High School (not Raleigh’s Broughton High School as was his frequent claim) where he retained lasting friendships and great memories.
He moved to North Carolina in the summer of 1967 to join the US Army, assigned to the 82nd Airbourne Division. He served 6 years, including a year in Vietnam, and left the Army as a Captain in the 1st Battlion (The Big Red 1)/B Battery-Artillery Division. He attended Methodist College and graduated with an B.A in English from East Carolina University. He graduated from Duke University’s School of Law in 1979 and practiced criminal, traffic, and family law in Durham, NC for decades. Bill shared an office with Richard Rigsbee and he received legal tutorials for over 30 years from his Legal Secretary, Iris Brogden and later, from his daughter Amy who was his Legal Assistant. Both Richard and Iris predecease him. Bill was most proud of successfully representing the last 15 year old tried for his life in a capital murder case in NC.
His parents and the mother of his children, Judy Christenbury Cotter Kelly, predecease him. Left to cherish his memory with love and laughter are his life partner, Dale Cousins, and his children Billy and Kelli Cotter, Amy Cotter and Kevin Davis, and Marny and Bryon Ruben along with his grandson, Chase Ruben. More recently, Tom Wright joined the family as an honorary second son. Also remembering his life with love are his sister Jane Cotter and her wife, Barbara Cocci as well as his nephew Will Cousins, wife Casey, and children, Gabe, William, and Paisley. In addition, remembering him are former wife Jill Edwards Cotter and step children Tom, John, and Erica Orvald. Bill leaves behind many faithful friends, clients, and legal colleagues, especially those good buddies and helpers (the most patient Clerks of Court) at the Durham County Courthouse. His annual Courthouse pizza parties at Christmas were historic and gave him much pleasure as did the many hugs he received on a weekly basis.
His favorite memories and best stories included meeting Admiral Byrd from his tram next to the Charles River; seeing Bob Cousy play his last game at the Garden; jumping the turnstile to see Jimmy Piersall, Ted Williams, and Jackie Jensen in the outfield at Fenway; having his old bud Lefty Frizzell dedicate a song to him; meeting Crusher Casey and Spiro Agnew; and purchasing a Kir Royale for Rosemary Clooney. He was mostly an “inside boy” who enjoyed his cats, his fish, his chickens, and walking around the yard and garden. He was a semi-pro at remembering old doo-wop music and he loved George Jones, a good story, most all food, cheap beer, and early bedtimes.
Bill wished to have a natural burial in the Veteran’s section of Raleigh’s Historic Oakwood Cemetery with just family in attendance. A celebration of life will occur later in the year. Raise a Miller High Life in his honor and remember him with a loving smile or an outright chuckle.
(October 6, 2026)