Lewis Clarence Cotte Jr.

Lewis Clarence Cotte Jr., known to all as Louie, was born on January 5, 1945 in North Bend, OR, and passed away on February 14, 2026 in Olympia, WA at the age of 81.

Louie is survived by his wife of over 56 and a half years, Rita (Lane) Cotte; his children Sohn, Earl, and Robin; his grandsons, Brandon (Alessandra) and Benson; and great-grandchildren, all of Washington state. He was deeply loved by his family, and he showed his love in return by being there for them, sharing his knowledge and humor, and passing on a lifetime of skills.

Louie spent seven years serving in the United States Army, stationed in Germany for three of them, and worked as a wheeled vehicle mechanic and MP. While in the Army, he married the love of his life, Rita, on June 7th, 1969 in Riverside, CA. From that day forward, the two of them built a life together defined by their faith, loyalty, partnership, and his steady devotion to protecting and taking care of her. By trade, he was a skilled machinist and engineer who designed and built specialized pneumatic equipment.

He was a Christian who believed in God and in the promise of eternal life, a faith that brought him quiet comfort and hope. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7

If you knew Louie, you probably remember his sense of humor first. He was a jokester who somehow never met a stranger. He could strike up a conversation with anyone and have them laughing in minutes. In later years, with his long white hair and beard, people often thought he looked like Santa. Kids would sometimes think he actually was Santa Claus when he was out in public, and he absolutely leaned into the joy of that. It suited him.

Louie loved old Westerns, traveling and creating good memories with his family, fishing, working with his hands, and solving problems. Whether that meant fixing something that was broken or building something that didn’t exist yet, he enjoyed figuring things out. He wasn’t flashy about any of it. He was just really good at these things. And of course, he loved socializing over breakfast at Burger King with his wife and friends.

They moved full time to their house in Chehalis 21 years ago after he retired, ready to slow down a bit, and quickly came to love it there. The new friends and neighbors he met soon realized that Louie was someone you were glad to run into, because a short conversation with him usually made your day better.

Louie will be remembered for his humor, his kindness to strangers, his skill with his hands, his quiet faith and the way he showed up for the people he loved. He leaves behind a family who loves and misses him deeply and a long trail of people who are better off for having known him.

Visitation is February 27th from 3pm-5pm at Cattermole Funeral Home in Winlock.

His earthly resting place will be Winlock Cemetery, and his eternal resting place is in heaven with Jesus.

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

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