Henry “Richard” Cottongim, 81, of Tifton died Monday, October 29, 2012, at his residence. Funeral services will be held at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 1, 2012, at the First United Methodist Church in Tifton. Rev. Stephen Webb will officiate with burial to follow in Oak Ridge Cemetery. Dr. Wayne Hannah, Tyron Spearman, Lyle Wise, Jimmy Dill, Darian Peavy, Mike Williford, Jim Forehand, Richard Burton, Dr. J. Michael Moore and Robert Gressette will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be Frank McGill, Walter Strange, Scott Mallory, members of the Chancellor Choir and members of the Beacon Sunday school class at Tifton’s First United Methodist Church. Mr. Cottongim will be placed in the church one hour prior to the service and the family will receive friends in the church parlor from 3:00 p.m. until the hour of the service.
Mr. Cottongim was born on July 28, 1931 in Atlanta and was the son of Henry Lee Cottongim and Mary Chafin Cottongim, both deceased. He was also preceded in death by two sisters, Elizabeth Sears and Jean Grimsley. He was the owner of Cottongim Heating and Cooling for 50 years and was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Tifton, where he started the Beacon Sunday school class in 1956 and was a member of the Kitchen Band. He graduated from Newnan High School and attended college at Emory and Oxford. He served in the United States Army in Korea in 1953. He was a member of the Tifton Lion’s Club and was a charter member of the Exchange Club of Tifton. He was also active with Meals on Wheels. He was also a member of the Men’s Bible Study Group that met every Wednesday at Shoney’s.
Mr. Cottongim is survived by his wife, Jo Allene “Bootsie” Kent Cottongim of Tifton, two daughters and sons-in-law, Valerie and Jerry Hughes of Tifton and Cheryl and Rev. David Lord of Virginia; three grandchildren and their spouses, Tiffany and Colt Anderson, Heidi Rebecca Forehand and Mitchell David Lord; two great-grandchildren, Jason Kent Anderson and Amber Breanne Anderson; and his dogs, Maxie and Mikey.
Flowers will be accepted or memorial gifts may be made to the First United Methodist Church in Tifton, 107 West 12th Street, Tifton, GA 31794 or Hospice of Tiftarea, P. O. Box 747, Tifton, GA.