George Cothran

George Alan Cothran of Leicester, died Thursday, September 24 at Mission Hospital as a result of injuries sustained in an accident. The son of Thurman Durrell ("Deetus") Cothran, Sr. and Lucille Waits, he was born on August 25, 1945 in Greenville, SC. While growing up, he was a member of St. Paul Methodist Church. George was a Boy Scout and a member of The Order of the Arrow, Atta Kulla Kulla Lodge 185, Blue Ridge Council. He lettered in track and pole vaulting at Greenville High School, graduating in 1963. Educated at The Citadel and Clemson University, George majored in Economics. George moved to Asheville in 1974 in a management position with Bruce Construction Machinery Company. He followed in the footsteps of his revered father Deetus, a police captain with the Greenville Police Department, working undercover for the Buncombe County Sheriff's Department in the late 1970s. 1979 was the year he met his soul mate, Pat. They were married on May 18, 1985, and God blessed their union for 30 amazing and love-filled years. Together they rappelled and hiked and skied and rode ATVs, rescued dogs and llamas and other animals, and created many, many joyous memories simply being together. George worked for Machinery and Equipment Company for four years before starting his own business, Associated Industrial Equipment and Supply, Inc., in 1983, which is still operating 32 years later, and cultivating lasting friendships along the way. George was a member of Asheville Racquet Club for years and he had such fun with his work-out and running buddies there. For ten years George owned and operated Deetus Son Trucking, Inc., a dump trucking business serving Buncombe and surrounding counties. George was a prayerful man of deep faith with a great love for the Lord. He began every day reading the Bible and devotionals. George enriched the lives of those who knew him. He was a true friend, a mentor, and a compassionate individual. He loved to make people laugh with his jokes and stories. Always upbeat and positive, he could lift your spirits with his smile. One of George's finest traits was his ability to listen intently and be totally engaged in what you had to say without interrupting, because he valued and respected others. In addition to his parents, George was preceded by his brother-in-law, Mickey Wilde, who loved George's jokes as much as he loved George. Family members include his beloved wife Pat Wilde Cothran, brother Col. T. D. ("Ted Sir") Cothran, Jr. (USAF Ret.) in Colorado Springs; sister Pat Lawing ("Pister Sat") in Greensboro; mother-in-law Peggy Bennett of Leicester, brothers-in law Steve Wilde of Charlotte and Dan Wilde of Leicester, nieces and nephews Kelly Johnston, Laura Hilbert, Cathy Ballard, Craig Cothran, Scott Lawing, Shane Wilde, Rory Wilde and Cory Wilde. Visitation will be Monday, September 28 from 6 pm to 8 pm in the chapel of Groce Funeral Home on Patton Avenue. Services will be held on Tuesday, September 29 at 2 pm in the sanctuary of Central United Methodist Church on Church Street. Interment will follow in Brick Church cemetery on Highway 63 in Leicester. Condolences to the family may be mailed to PO Box 1626, Leicester, NC 28748. For those wishing to make a memorial in lieu of flowers, you are invited to consider a donation to Brick Church Fund, PO Box 53, Leicester NC 28748.