Chester A. 'Chet' Cottongim

Chester A. ‘Chet’ Cottongim

Chester A. “Chet” Cottongim passed away peacefully on March 8, 2019, surrounded by loving family and friends.

Chet was born in Kentucky in 1929 and moved with his family to Ohio as a child. As a young adult, he served at a remote Alaskan station during the Korean War. After the war, Chet raised a large family, moving from Ohio to Washington state, and eventually to Alaska for his long career in human resource management. He retired to Idaho in 1990, but remained active in many interests.

During retirement, he operated a bed and breakfast, volunteered as an Alzheimer’s respite caregiver, and was a reading buddy for local elementary students in Plummer.

Most recently, Chet enjoyed the love and company of his extended family in Coeur d’Alene and trips to Hawaii, Mexico and Washington, D.C. He advocated for Alzheimer’s research by being a top fund raiser. While most participants in Alzheimer’s Walks raised funds by walking, Chet’s group — the “All Talk No Walk” team — raised money from pledges by sitting in lawn chairs on the sidelines.

This was typical of Chet’s approach to life: go easy and laugh a lot. Chet is survived by a very large extended family, and a sense of humor that lives on with all who knew him.