Bob Cottrill (left), John Olesky

Another Monongah High reunion for Bob Cottrill

Bob Cottrill, Class of 1951, who lives in Melbourne, Florida, had March visitors from his Monongah High days again on Monday, March 23.

This year it was John Olesky, Class of 1950, and Paula Tucker, who are renting for three months in The Villages, Florida to escape the winter that plagued their Tallmadge, Ohio home.

Last year Bob’s Monongah High company came from Swisher Hill -- Tony Orsini, Class of 1946, and his wife, Mary Louise Baker Orsini, in the Class of 1948. 

Bob played football with Tony’s late brothers, Tom "Bum" Orsini, Class of 1950, whose widow, Peggy Rauer Orsini, lives in Titusville, Florida, and Bum’s brother, Cocoa Orsini.

The Orsini brothers were Tony, Tom “Bum”, Larry, Jimmy, Junior "Cocoa" and Bill. Still alive are Tony and Jimmy, who resides in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Bob’s Florida MHS reunions include Delores Vingle Olender, Class of 1951, who was in the Ray Vingle Band long ago. Ted Nagle, Class of 1954, who lives in Vinton, Virginia and Micco, Florida, also had a reunion with Deloris several years ago in Micco.

Bob’s first wife, Barbara Jean Henderson Cottrill, a 1955 Fairmont Nursing School graduate, passed away in 2007. He remarried, to Thelma, of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, friends with Bob and his first wife, Barbara, for more than 20 years.

Bob remains friends with Tom Martin, Class of 1951, who winters on Marco Island, Florida with his wife.

Bob owns Cottrill’s Mountain, 120 acres near Burnsville, West Virginia. His children and grandchildren use it for their private park and playground.

Bob’s grandson, Chris Barnes, son of Bob’s daughter, Rhonda, works for Fidelity Mortgage and Title out of Akron. Bob also has sons Rob in Atlanta and Randy in Tampa.

Bob was president of both his sophomore and junior classes at Monongah High, where he starred in football as a halfback, which today is called a running back. He also played basketball.

If you want to catch up with Bob, you might try calling him at (321) 432-6683.