Edward Russell Cotton Jr.

Born in Miami, FL on April 16, 1931, Edward Russell Cotton, Jr., a longtime resident of Rio Rancho, died Tuesday, February 14, 2023. He was preceded in death by his wife, Janice G., his parents, Edward R Cotton and Margaret H, and his sister Jean Likens and husband Frank. He is survived by his children, William R. Cotton and wife Jean of Exeter, RI, Carolyn C. Santangelo and husband Nicholas of Brooklyn, NY, and Susan C. Salazar and husband Stanley of Albuquerque; grandchildren Nicholas and wife Pekham, Christopher, and Aurora Santangelo, Haley Cotton and husband Nicholas Comparato, and Megan Salazar; and great-grandchild Aarini Santangelo. 

Ed graduated from Lafayette College in 1953, with a BS in Civil Engineering. He was an officer in the US Army, first as a member of the Occupation Forces in Germany, and then as a Captain of the Army Corps of Engineers. He spent his career as a Civil Engineer, qualifying as a Professional Engineer in 1970, working as a Cost Estimator with American Bridge, a division of US Steel, in Pittsburgh, PA and Orange, TX, from which he retired. Returning to New Mexico, where he had lived for a time on the Jicarilla Apache Reservation, he continued to work as a Cost Estimator in Albuquerque for an additional fifteen years. 

Ed was a member of the Rio Rancho United Methodist Church, where he served as a member of the Board of Trustees and the United Methodist Men. He, with his wife Jan, served as ushers for the church. 

Ed and Jan spent many years as square dancers with the Rio Rancho Ramblers. Ed was an accomplished lifelong golfer, who played most of the courses in New Mexico as well as courses throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states. Ed and Jan were avid travelers who visited many of the National Parks and historic sites throughout the United States.
 
The funeral will be held at the Rio Rancho United Methodist Church on June 30, 2023 at 10:30am.