Walter Cottingham Obituary

Walter Cottingham Kingstree, SC - Dr. Walter Carlisle Cottingham, 83, husband of Mary Elizabeth DuBose "Beth" Cottingham, passed away peacefully Monday, July 25, 2016, in Tidelands Hospice House in Georgetown, SC. Dr. Cottingham was born October 29, 1932, in Trio, SC, a son of the late Mitchell C. Cottingham and Mary Cole Cottingham Boyd. He was a 1954 graduate of Clemson University, where he was a member of the Pershing Rifles, the Tiger Brotherhood and the Senior Drill Platoon. After graduation from Clemson, Walter served our country for 2 years in the Army Quartermaster Corps. In August of 1958, he married the love of his life Beth, and they moved to Athens, GA, home of the University of Georgia, where Walter received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1961. That same year they moved to Kingstree and established the Cottingham Veterinary Hospital. Walter was an active member of Williamsburg Presbyterian Church and had served as a deacon there. He was a member of the SC Association of Veterinarians, and, in 1984, he began a three year term on the Advisory Board for Foreign Animals and Poultry, reporting to The Secretary of Agriculture in Washington D.C. That same year he was recognized as Veterinarian of the Year by SCAV, and in 1986, served as president of SCAV. He was named Distinguised Veterinarian of the Year in 2010 by the SC Association of Veterinarians. Dr. Cottingham was a former director of The Exchange Bank of Kingstree and was on the Board of Directors for First Citizens Bank. He was an IPTAY member, and for many years was the Williamsburg County Representative of that organization. He was a Life Member of the Clemson Alumni Association and a former member of the State Board of Veterinary Examiners. In 2013, Dr. Cottingham was the recipient of The Lifetime Achievement Award from The Williamsburg Hometown Chamber, and in June of 2016, he was the guest of honor at Williamsburg Regional Hospital Foundation's first "Williamsburg County Dancing with the Stars" Because of their belief that education is key to success, he and his wife Beth have established scholarships at Coker College, Williamsburg Technical College, Clemson University, and the University of Georgia Veterinary School. Surviving Dr. Cottingham, in addition to his wife Beth, are: sisters, Margaret (Fritz) Smith, of Kingstree and Marilyn (Tom) Summers, of Columbia; brothers, Mitchell Cottingham, of Manning and Elton Cottingham, of Sumter; 16 nieces and nephews, including special nephews, Brian (Mary) Smith, of Georgetown and Preston Smith, of New York, NY. In addition to his parents, Walter was preceded in death by: brothers, J.D., Wallace, and Sam Cottingham; sisters, Juanita Gordon and Doris McCants; and two nephews. A memorial service will be held at 2 PM Friday, July 29, 2016, in Williamsburg Presbyterian Church. Dr. Cottingham's family will receive friends following the service in Grace Hall. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Williamsburg Presbyterian Church, 411 N. Academy Street, Kingstree, SC 29556, Williamsburg Regional Hospital Foundation, PO Drawer 568, Kingstree, SC 29556, or Tidelands Community Hospice, 2591 N. Fraser Street, Georgetown, SC 29440. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.WilliamsburgFuneralHome.com. Visit our guestbook at www.legacy.com/obituaries/ charleston