Mark LaMonte Cottrell ’70

One of our spirited Jerry Garcia loyalists, Monte died June 4, 2024, of respiratory failure in Sacramento, Calif.

He came to us from Shawnee Mission East in Kansas, where he was student body president. He chose to major in philosophy, fulfilling a critical class requirement: He wrote his thesis on Wittgenstein. He was also married while at Princeton, and his first daughter, Amy, was born just prior to our graduation. After a stint teaching middle and high school in California, he progressed into labor relations, spending the better part of his career as a principal consultant with the University of California, Davis health system. In 1983, he welcomed his second child, Emilia (also a philosophy major), and his youngest child Katharine in 1990.

Monte retired from UC Davis in 2005. He spent time tutoring inmates through their GED program, as well as many Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays volunteering with Sacramento Loaves and Fishes. He will be vividly remembered for his love of debate, sarcasm, sports (Kansas City Chiefs), movies, game shows, Christmas, puzzles, animals, and Disneyland.

Monte is survived by three daughters and three grandchildren. Along with us they share his marvelous message from our 50th-reunion yearbook, in chorus with Jerry regarding what a long, strange trip it’s been.