Dr. Jerry B. Cotner's Obituary
Jerry B. Cotner, M.D. passed away November 18, 2020. He was born in Huntington, Arkansas, October 31, 1934, to Thomas E. Cotner and Margarette E. Cotner Carleton, both of whom predeceased him in death.
At the age of 16, he graduated from Hartshorne, Oklahoma, High School, where his claim to fame was being the captain of the baseball and the football teams. He entered The University of Oklahoma Medical School at the age of 19, graduating at the exceptional age of 23. He then joined the Air Force, and became a flight surgeon stationed at Loring Air Force Base, one of the largest SAC bases at the time. There he continued his medical training in the field of aerospace medicine. Part of his duties as flight surgeon included flying over the Artic Circle on 24 hour “suicide” missions with his B-52 crews. One of the perks he provided for them during the flight was cooking bacon and eggs to order on an electric skillet he brought onboard, while sitting on the jump seat behind the pilot. He had many wonderful memories of his service at Loring.
After an honorable discharge from the USAF, Jerry practiced family medicine in Roswell, New Mexico for three years. He always said this helped him thru out his medical career as it gave him such a solid foundation going into his chosen specialty. In 1965 he entered Southwest Medical School to become a board-certified ophthalmologist, taking his basics at Harvard. Upon graduation he began a 57-year medical practice which included 37 years on the senior attending staff of Southwest Medical School. He had truly found his calling in life: treating “the best patients any doctor could have” caring for them as family. He treated each one with the passion and enthusiasm that echoed thru out his life.
That passion and enthusiasm for his patients was equally matched by his love of the outdoors and hunting, a love which began at an early age in Eastern Oklahoma. He was given his first BB gun at the age of 6 and at 10 his maternal grandmother allowed him to go hunting alone with a .22 rifle. After he brought home a rabbit, she showed him how to skin and fry it for their lunch that day. Picking up his rifle from the corner, he was out the door hunting again. As he liked to say “the die was cast.”
That first adventure took him from hunting small game to hunting around the world. He found his destiny and ultimate passion in sheep hunting, which is “a very physically challenging endeavor in its own pristine environment where the majesty of creation is so evident.” Last year, he spent 19 days on horseback, riding up and down the mountains in the Wyoming snow. On the last day of hunting season at 2 in the afternoon on October 31, his birthday, he shot his 19th trophy sheep. What a present! The next day he boarded a flight, with Glenda, his wife and travel companion, to return to Scotland, a trip they had left for his sheep hunt. There he continued his love of bird shooting in his mother country, his next passion -- after all, he was a McAlester on his mother's side and he felt such an affinity for the rugged outdoors of Scotland. He loved asking everyone he met about their ancestry so he could learn about theirs and share his with them. He also loved sharing that his surname, Cotner was Austrian and from Salzburg, a town he loved.
Receiving the Outstanding Hunting Achievement Award given annually by the Dallas Safari Club for his life time pursuit “Super Slam and More of Wild Sheep” in 2005. This was one of his cherished accomplishments of his hunting career. He felt it summed up the meaning of what being an outdoorsman and hunter were meant to be -- a conservationist of this wonderful world the Lord created.
During his lifetime of service, he was on the board of, president of and an active participant in many civic, professional, conservation and outdoor organizations. He was a lively and sought out speaker entertaining his audience on such topics as a close encounter with a black mamba, to building an igloo in 50 below and even creating excitement over the back of the eyeball. No matter the topic, many have remembered these adventures for years.
Jerry is survived by his wife, or to quote his sister, his soul mate, Glenda Krottinger Cotner. Their favorite sayings were “We’re off on another adventure!” or “On the road again!” He is also survived by his daughter, Kelly Michelle Cotner; his sister Sharon B. Miller and husband George; nieces, Elaine Bacon and Stephanie Bacon; great-niece, Taylor Heath; and grandnephews, Joseph Peveto, Sgt. Bobby Holbrook and Christian Holbrook. He is also preceded in death by his beloved son, Carleton Cotner and his dearly loved Aunt and Uncle Jessica and Darwin Dunn.
Jerry had that ability to make all aspects of life exciting because he approached life with passion and enthusiasm and his love of God and this creation called earth. He lived each day to the fullest and with the excitement of a child waking on Christmas morning thanking the Lord for this new day. He would challenge everyone to do the same.
Due to the world conditions, there will not be a “traditional” service at this time. An ongoing celebration of his life has been created on the website forevermissed.com. In remembrance of him we are asking everyone to please post thoughts, impressions, stories, pictures, etc. so we can share in all the many memories of those he touched throughout his life OR to quote him, “do you have time for one more quick story?”
We are praying that in the coming months we will be able to come together to commemorate the exceptional life of Jerry B. Cotner, MD. Until then, celebrate life with “passion and enthusiasm” and share your memories and stories of him on his website at forevermissed.com.
What’s your fondest memory of Jerry?
What’s a lesson you learned from Jerry?
Share a story where Jerry's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Jerry you’ll never forget.
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