Long-time orthopedic surgeon and University of Pennsylvania Professor David C. Cottrell, II, M.D., 87 years old, passed away on June 5, at home. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Sandra L. Beaver, his son, David “Chad” Cottrell III, his daughter Catherine Cottrell, son-in-law Jack Reilly, his granddaughter, Eleanor June Reilly, his two nephews and a niece.
Cottrell was a native of Philadelphia. Born in 1933, he graduated with a BA from the University of Tennessee in 1955. He then went on to earn his medical degree from University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 1959. Cottrell subsequently completed both his internship and residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Cottrell served as a captain in the Army and for a time was stationed in Okinawa, Japan. He was honorably discharged in 1962.
Cottrell was an attending physician and met his beloved wife at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. The Cottrells married in 1967.
A professor of orthopedic surgery at the University of Pennsylvania, Cottrell practiced privately in Bryn Mawr for many years. Then, in 1986, he opened his practice in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. He performed surgery at the Evangelical Community Hospital in Lewisburg and at the Sunbury Community Hospital in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, until retiring in 2000.
Cottrell enjoyed time outdoors gardening and doing yard work, time spent traveling extensively with his wife via their motorhome, and his reading, especially readings on military history. He was an active community member and maintained involvement with the Sunbury Rotary Club, the Zion Lutheran Church in Sunbury and Sigma Phi Epsilon at the University of Tennessee. Cottrell was also a lifelong NRA member.
Cottrell sustained professional connections after retirement. He maintained professional memberships including the American Medical Association, the Eastern Orthopedic Association, the Pennsylvania Orthopedic Society, and the Pennsylvania Medical Association. He was a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and the College of Physicians of Philadelphia and American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.
Dr. Cottrell also had a special, life-long love for his dogs. Donations in his memory may be made to: Mostly Mutts, 284 Little Mountain Rd., Sunbury, PA 17801.
