Obituary of Robert F. Cottrell

Robert F. “Bob” Cottrell, 71, of Howell Township passed away peacefully on Thursday, March 28, 2019 surrounded by his loving family. He grew up in Freehold and moved to Howell in 1973.   Bob was a proud U.S. Navy Veteran, enlisting in 1965 and serving until 1969. During his Naval career, he served his country aboard three different aircraft carriers, including the USS Lake Champlain (CV-39), USS Randolph (CV-15), and the USS America (CV-66).  Bob met his wife, Susan, in 1973 and they were happily married for over 46 years, sharing a passion for gardening and spending their summers with friends and family in their backyard. He began his career at Dana Transportation in 1974, retiring in 2016 after 42 years to spend time with his beloved family traveling in his RV, fishing, and scuba diving.  Bob found true happiness watching or listening to Yankee games with a Beck’s in his hand. An avid golfer, Bob was a former member of the Battleground Country Club, enjoying many days on the greens as the trophies piled up in the garage. For fun in his retirement, he appeared as an extra in episodes of ABC’s “Quantico” and Showtime’s “Billions.” 

Bob was predeceased by his brother, Richard Cottrell; and son-in-law, Scott Fairgrieve, Sr. He is survived by his wife, Susan Cottrell of Howell; two daughters, Lauren Krenkel of Howell, and Kristen Cottrell and her husband, Jay Kellers of Long Branch; three grandchildren, Scott Fairgrieve, Jr., Jessica and Sean Krenkel, along with their father, Jason Krenkel, all of Howell; two brothers, Gene Cottrell of Randolph and Jack Cottrell of Freehold; a sister, Mickey Ariff of Pitman;former son-in-law,  and many nieces and nephews.

A memorial gathering will be held at the Clayton & McGirr Funeral Home, 100 Elton-Adelphia Road (Route 524), Freehold Township on Saturday, April 6, 2019 from 2:00 to 4:00 PM with his memorial service to begin at 4:00 PM. A celebration of Bob’s life will be held at the Courtyard Banquet, 30 E. Main Street, Freehold beginning at 6:00 PM. For information, directions or to send condolence messages to the family, visit www.claytonfuneralhome.com.