Kenneth Lee Cottle

Kenneth Lee Cottle of West Liberty, KY, passed away Monday, April 13, 2020 at his residence, at the age of 66 years, 1 month, and 5 days. He was born Monday, March 8, 1954 at West Liberty, KY, son of Revonna Gaye Frederick Cottle and the late Bobby Lee Cottle.

Kenneth was a retired high school teacher at the Woodsbend Youth Development Center. He was saved and baptized and attended the Lacy Creek Church of Christ. Kenny was a loving son, father, grandfather, and great grandfather, and brother. He will be sadly missed by all who knew him.

In addition to his father, he was preceded in death by one brother, Paul Cottle; and his grandparents, Charlie & Rhoda Frederick and Cash & Virgie Cottle.

He is survived by his mother, Gaye Cottle of West Liberty, KY; one daughter & son-in-law, Gretta & Freddie Hylton of Cannel City, KY; two grandchildren, Carla & Hunter Williams and Matthew Hylton; one great grandson, Bentley Williams; one sister, Charlette & Hank Allen of West Liberty, KY; one brother, Bobby Scott & Joanna Cottle of West Liberty, KY; one uncle, Randolph & Doris Frederick of West Liberty, KY; and several nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, and cousins.

Due to the COVID-19 requirements set forth by Governor Andy Beshear, a private funeral service for the immediate family, will be held Thursday, April 16, 2020 at the Potter Funeral Home, with private burial immediately following in the Church of Christ Cemetery, Lacy Creek, KY, with Rev. Jamie Brunk officiating.

Pallbearers: Freddie Hylton, Bobby Scott Cottle, Matthew Hylton, Hunter Williams, Jon Cottle, & Chaz Allen.

Eulogy of Kenneth Lee Cottle

Kenneth Lee “Kenny” Cottle of West Liberty, Kentucky passed away Monday, April 13, 2020 at his residence at the age of 66 years, one month and five days. Kenny was born in Cottle, Kentucky on March 8, 1954 to Gaye (Frederick) and the late Bobby Lee “Buster” Cottle.

Kenny graduated from Lees Jr. College in 1973 with an Associates in Arts Degree. He went on to earn a Bachelor and Master of Arts Degrees from Morehead State University.

He served as a high school science teacher at Woodsbend Youth Development Center in the Morgan County Public School District for 31 years, retiring in 2007. Kenny loved educating youth and worked tirelessly toward improving outcomes for all kids.

Kenny had a public servant’s heart. He thoroughly enjoyed working to improve his community. He wanted it to be the best place possible for his family and neighbors. He served as Magistrate on the Morgan County Fiscal Court for 12 years. During this time, he worked closely with local, state, and federal leaders on numerous improvement projects including the creation of better roads and increased job opportunities for the citizens of Morgan County.

Kenny also served his community as a volunteer firefighter with the White Oak Fire Department, Southern States Board, and President of Morgan County Farm Bureau for many years.

He was honored with many awards and recognitions for his community service including an appreciation award for outstanding achievements in farming, leadership, citizenship and community welfare from the Future Farmers of America. He was also presented a service appreciation award for his community efforts from former Governor Martha Layne Collins and was commissioned as a Kentucky Colonel in 1993 by former Governor Brereton Jones.

Kenny’s favorite pastimes included creating things with his own hands. He loved farming, hunting and fishing. He enjoyed making his own knives, guns, reloading ammunition and even spent time creating and working in his own blacksmith shop. He took great pride in tending the land and planting and harvesting crops.

Kenny cherished the outdoors and being in nature. While he valued all his many accomplishments over the course of his career, perhaps his most prized possessions were his “trophy bucks” garnered from much-loved hunting trips and his handmade knives and guns.

He appreciated adventures with his family and friends. So many times, Kenny spoke fondly of fishing trips to the Ohio River and the once-in-a-lifetime drive across the country for a hunting trip in Montana with his brother and closest friends. Kenny enjoyed the hunt, but mostly he enjoyed the time with people he loved.

Kenny loved nothing more than a light-hearted prank. He was quite the jokester and especially enjoyed pulling one over on his sister. Years ago, he spent an inordinate amount of time trying to decide exactly what loud or insufferable Christmas gifts her child might enjoy the most! While he wanted to please his nephew, he looked more forward to his sister’s reaction to the loudest drum set any child would enjoy.  

Kenny was a man who spoke little about his emotions, but he desperately loved his family. He cherished his parents and reminisced often about the years he spent with them growing up and then raising his own family on the farm. He was most proud of his daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren. He was a firm, yet loving father who provided a strong foundation from which his daughter grew and leaned on to raise her own children. Every call from Kenny to his daughter either began or ended with, “How are the kids?”

Kenny was just getting to know his new great-grandson and was so tickled to learn his grandson-in-law had nicknamed the baby, “BennyBoo”. This became Kenny’s favorite way to refer to Bentley. The last day they spent together ended with a huge hug and an “I love you” from Bentley to his PapPap and Kenny was overjoyed with love and emotion. He was looking forward to watching Bentley grow up.

Although times change, Kenny never swayed from the values he held to be the most important. Regardless of what was happening in his life, he held steady to his faith in the Lord. He believed the Word of God and knew that there was a better place awaiting. Today, we celebrate the life Kenny lived and rejoice in knowing that we will be with him again someday.

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