Richard Anthony Cotton

Richard Anthony Cotton, 77, passed away peacefully at home on April 21, 2025 surrounded by family and loved ones. Born in Media, Pennsylvania, Rich was the beloved son of the late Richard and Marion “Chessick” Cotton. He is survived by his loving wife, Patricia Shea Cotton; his devoted children, Lisa (Tim) Keck, Ryan (Shannon) Cotton, Justin (Danielle) Cotton, and Andy (Rabecca) Cotton; his siblings, Carol Simpson and Anthony Cotton; his cherished grandchildren, Brennan, Mason, Harrison, Delaney, Addie, and Gia. and his beloved dog Bentley. He graduated Penncrest High School in ’66 and attended Penn State University before beginning an apprenticeship with the Steamfitters Local 420. In March of 1968 he proudly enlisted in the United States Navy Submarine Service; among many duties, Rich ran multiple tours on the USS John C. Calhoun nuclear powered submarine and proudly served until his honorable discharge in 1974. He returned home to Delaware County PA. and in the late 1970’s, made Galena Md. his home. His next chapter returned Rich to his steamfitter apprenticeship which gave way to a career in that industry through 1990. Richard then embarked on a new career in real estate with Gunther McClary. He flourished in the business and among other accomplishments, joined forces with Susan Lassiter to launch Waterfront Properties in ’96. In 2003 he purchased the first Exit Real Estate franchise in the state of Maryland. Ultimately he merged Waterfront Properties with his new company and formed Exit Realty Chesapeake Bay. A dedicated professional and active member of his community, Rich served on the Board of Realtors and the Board for Habitat for Humanity. He remained active in the industry until his retirement in 2019. Above all, he cherished time spent with family and friends. He was a proud father grandfather and a devoted companion to his beloved dogs, Buster and Bentley. He was a loyal fan of Penn State and the Philadelphia Eagles; he had the good fortune to attend a Penn State game at Beaver Stadium in October 2024 and to witness the Super Bowl accomplishment of his beloved Eagles this year. All the ‘facts’ about Rich can’t explain the heart of him. Simply put, Rich loved life; in fact many would say “ He was larger than life”. He was deeply passionate about his work as a Realtor, He loved the Sassafras River and the Upper Eastern Shore, He loved the history of Kent and Cecil counties. When he became a Realtor he made waterfront property his specialty and it became his mission to help everyone he worked with to find their special place on the Eastern Shore. He was a visionary in many ways and was among the first to integrate technology such as digital video tours of home’s long before it was common place, He started his own You Tube Channel called “ Out and About with Rich Cotton”. He loved going behind the scenes in local places and events. His favorites were how Harris Crab House’s commercial oyster shucking packing process works and behind the scene of the 4th of July fire works on the Sassafras, He loved all measure of things with engines, car, boats, motorcycles and oddly, in the end, became obsessed with electric cars, He was often identified by what vehicle he drove. His Harley, his red Jeep, his red 911 Targa, and later, one of the first in this area, his red Tesla. And yes he did love to be seen in whatever cool car or vehicle he drove. His boat history can not rival his cars but he loved being on the water. His last boat was Dream Weaver, a 42’ wood Deadrise made by Cecil Robbins. In Dream Weaver he rolled his love of selling waterfront property, local history and just having fun into one boat. He used her for guided history tours of the historic properties along the Sassafras River , to show property from the waterside and of course sunset cocktail cruises down his beloved river. He was a man of deep passion and enthusiasm. His love of life and fun was infectious. All of us who knew and loved him were blessed to share it. A visitation will be held on May 9, 2025, at Fellows Family Funeral Home in Millington, Maryland, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., followed by a service at 5:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations in Richard’s memory may be made to the Maryland Food Bank or Our Daily Bread in Middletown DE. Use link below to view Live Stream of the Service https://view.oneroomstreaming.com/index.php?data=MTc0NjczNjUyNjM2MTg0MyZvbmVyb29tLWFkbWluJmNvcHlfbGluaw==

Richard Anthony Cotton

November 7, 1947 - April 21, 2025