Obituary of Thomas Duane Cotten

“Thomas Duane Cotten, “Tommy” born July 14, 1947 passed from this life May 29, 2020 of natural causes. Graveside Service: 12 p.m. Tuesday, June 9, 2020, Moore Memorial Gardens, 1219 N. Davis Dr., Arlington, TX 76012. Tommy never met a person he didn’t like. He was a friend to all and one that you could count on. Raised on the west side of Fort Worth, he attended South Hi Mount, Stripling and graduated from Arlington Heights High School. Along the way, Tommy participated in and loved playing baseball and football. He organized many years of recreational baseball teams that played at Forest Park and Rockwood. Those teams were made up of his very best friends. He competed in the Golden Gloves at Will Rogers Coliseum. He attended college at East Texas State. When the call of duty rang out during Vietnam, he joined the Marine Corp. As mentioned, wherever Tommy went he ended up making long lasting friendships. His work consisted of many varied positions from lifeguard, Lone Star Gas, General Dynamics to his last work for Talem Inc. lab. Among Tommy’s best friends were his animal friends, cats and dogs. They had a mutual admiration society. Tommy was proud to have been the namesake of his late uncle Duane Cotten who lost his life at sea in WWII. He loved his family, enjoying all of the traditional holidays with his 3 brothers and mom and dad. His greatest joy was the birth of his son Callan. He and Callan were inseparable during Callan’s youth with Tommy attending all of his ballgames and big events. Callan made him proud as a high achiever in the same schools Tommy had attended. About 22 years ago Tommy met the love of his life Teresa Timmons. She was his Rock of Gibraltar as they shared their love of the Texas Rangers, the Dallas Cowboys and the Dallas Mavericks. Tommy was predeceased by his mother, Mary and father, AJ Cotten and younger brother, Jerry Cotten. He is survived by his companion Teresa Timmons, his son, Callan Cotten, his brother, Jim Cotten and brother, Larry Cotten and wife Kelli. He was treasured by his Uncle Harvey Earp, 90 years old, and many nieces, nephews, their children and his cousins far and wide. He could not have been a kinder, gentler and more loving man. He is missed.”