M. Cotter, Sr. Place dedication

The legacy of one local Bronxite will be forever remembered, with a street named to mark all of his accomplishments.

Michael Cotter, Sr., was a humble, yet well known man throughout Pelham Gardens. He had spend much of his life in the area, settling on Wickham Avenue in 1991 with his wife, Rita, and four sons, Michael Cotter Jr., Paul Cotter, Joey Cotter and Anthony Cotter.

Having passed away on November 13, 2006, in his 58 years of life Cotter had touched the lives of so many and brought a sense of family to the community.

With four sons, Cotter was an active member of the Astor Little League and an active member of Mount Saint Michael Academy as treasurer and president of the father’s guild.

A Bronx boy through and through, Cotter was also a member of his local community organization, the Northeast Bronx Association, and heavily involved in his neighborhood parish, Holy Rosary.

“He was a man of great humility and of great service,” said Father Robert Quarato, pastor of Holy Rosary Parish. “He was the type of person through which families are made, the type of person through with parishes are formed, and the type of person through which communities come together.”

According to his brother-in-law, Joe Thurston, Cotter made the 7:15 a.m. Italian Mass possible by driving at 6 a.m. each Sunday to pick up a priest from University Avenue, and then dropping him off each week following the service.

On Saturday, June 13, family and friends gathered to honor his memory and celebrate the dedication on Michael Cotter Sr. Place, on Wickham and Stillwell avenues, made possible through the request of Councilman Jimmy Vacca.

“I am proud to do this on behalf of someone I know has done a lot for this community,” said Vacca. “It is my honor today to officially unveil the street renaming.”