Frederick Jean Kotter
On Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021, the Kotter family lost their hero. Following several months of dealing with serious health issues, he contracted COVID during a hospital stay at the end of August and was not able to recover. A statement from his family read: “Our sadness at this loss can only be measured by the size of the hole it has left in our family. We are comforted to know he is at peace and we marvel at the full life he led and the number of lives he touched.”
Frederick Jean Kotter, born on Sept. 19, 1934, in New Brunswick, N.J., made his debut into this world weighing an impressive 13 pounds at birth and continued to impress for the next 87 years.
Born to Thomas John Kotter and Esther Sandry Kotter, Fred was the youngest of three children. His work ethic began an a very young age when he took a job setting up bowling pins manually at a neighborhood bowling alley for a penny a pin. After a series of jobs, he went to work for Consolidated Business Forms and started out sweeping the floors. He eventually became a printer’s apprentice and learned all aspects of the printing business from A to Z.
Since he now had a solid job, he felt the timing was right to propose marriage to long-time friend and schoolmate, Miss Celeste Lupinacci. The friendship was long, so the courtship was short. They didn’t have much money, but put on a grand wedding on Halloween, Oct. 31, 1954, complete with a sit down dinner for 100 people. Following an old Italian tradition, Celeste carried a satin purse, and any gentleman who danced with her would slip wedding cash into the purse. They ended up with enough money to pay for the wedding and a honeymoon.
They had an apartment, but not much else. An ironing board they received as a wedding gift was put to use as a dining table, and since they only had one chair, Celeste had to sit in Fred’s lap to eat. The couple soon discovered they were going to be parents, and Celeste gave birth to their only child, a daughter Cathleen, born in December of the next year.
Fred’s big break came in 1964 when Wallace Business Forms bought out Consolidated Business Forms and offered him a promotion and a raise to work at their plant in Gastonia, North Carolina. After much deliberation, Fred & Celeste decided to take a leap of faith and move their family of three to the Tar-Heel State. After three years learning all he could at the Gastonia plant, the company then presented him with an offer to relocate to Clinton, Illinois as plant superintendent. The challenge was accepted and the move was made. Again, he soaked up all the knowledge and experience he could at the Clinton plant. And -- you guessed it -- after three years, the company presented Fred with an offer he could not refuse: to be the manager of the newest plant in the company as it expanded into the southwest, and he landed squarely in Marlin, Texas.
Fred may have been born in New Jersey, but he got to Texas as soon as he could. He soon discovered The Fair in Lott, Texas and outfitted his family in world renowned western wear. He took it a step further and bought several parcels of ranch land, and, with the help of his neighbor, long-time rancher William Mitchell, and a host of others, he got into the cattle business as a ‘hobby’. After a long day running the Marlin plant, he looked forward to getting home after work, changing into his jeans and work shirt, and driving out to “check the cows.” They would hear his truck coming and knew he would be hand feeding them range cubes and other goodies. He had names for most of them.
In the dictionary under the word “self-made” they should probably have Fred’s picture. He was the epitome of the American Dream. The odds were against him. His father was not in the picture and there was no money for college. But he ignored the odds and persevered. Despite being the youngest plant manager in the company, the Marlin plant and his workers earned the highest awards for profitability and production...not just once, but year after year. His employees were his other “family” and he was joyful when he could treat them to a company picnic or a fancy dinner-dance.
With his success came the opportunity for travel and leisure activities, such as fishing, golfing and spending family time on the beach. Fred and Celeste visited beaches in Italy, Hawaii, Mazatlan, Bahamas, Cancun, the Virgin Islands, Florida, California, and South Padre...to name a few.
There came a time when he was offered a very high position at the company’s corporate offices in Hillside, Illinois, outside of Chicago. But Fred valued something much more than a prestigious job title and stock options...it was his family. And so this was a deal he COULD refuse, and one he refused more than once.
Because being frugal, resourceful and humble was in his genes, he also spent many hours “fixing” everything and anything; recycling and renewing, making something out of nothing, and gluing everything back together. He was especially partial to “JB Weld--World’s Strongest Bond.”
Some of the folks he met when first arriving in Marlin became his most special friendships. One such relationship was his neighbor J. D. Norris, who was the administrator of the Torbett-Hutchings-Smith Hospital. They became fast friends -- hunting, fishing, traveling, or just sitting around telling jokes. J.D. was responsible for getting him involved with the Board of Directors at the hospital where Fred became a permanent fixture and was eventually appointed Chairman of the Board. He was deeply invested in the success of the facility and devoted hundreds of volunteer hours over the span of 45 years to ensure its longevity, not only for the community, but also for the employees. He recently retired from the Board and was pleased with the current direction of FCHC and its leadership.
Upon learning of his untimely death, sentiments that were echoed over and over were “he was one-of-a-kind” and “they don’t make them like him anymore”.
Survivors include his beloved wife of 67 years, Celeste; his daughter, Cathy Kotter; granddaughter Katie Martinelli of Austin, Texas; granddaughter Amy Martinelli of Waco, Texas and great-grandson, Jackson Thomas; brother, Thomas Kotter of North Brunswick, New Jersey; sister, Joan Karnowski of Manchester, New Jersey; dear nieces and nephews, from Maine to Arizona; Oklahoma to Georgetown, and places in between.
A visitation for Fred will be held Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021, from noon to 2 p.m. at Adams Funeral Home in Marlin. Following the visitation will be a graveside service at 2:30 p.m. at Calvary Cemetery, Marlin.
Fred would highly approve of donations made in his name to any Alzheimer’s Research Organization due to Celeste’s diagnosis; or donations to Falls Community Hospital & Clinic, Attn: Becca Brewer, P. O. Box 60, Marlin, Texas 76661.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.Adams-FuneralHome.com.