Ellis Winston "Vic" Cottrell

Ellis Winston "Vic" Cottrell of Moyock finished his greatest gig on May 27th, at the age of 76. He goes on to join Coltrane, Miles Davis and Marvin Gaye in that great jam session in the next life. Born to Ellis Sr and Mary Smith Cottrell in May of 1947, Vic was the beloved husband to Helen Garrett Cottrell and was a native of Moyock for over 40 years. Vic spent his life in the automotive industry. He worked for various dealerships in the Tidewater area, owned his own auto insurance company and also owned his own small local dealership. At one time he was a distributor for Bertone sportscars, and one of the greatest joys of his life was the trip he took to Italy to visit the Bertone factory. He regaled his family with stories of authentic Italian cuisine for years afterward. He enjoyed cooking throughout his life. He could take random ingredients found in the refrigerator and pantry and turn it into a meal fit for the ages. His dogs, and his family as well, would wag their (sometimes metaphorical) tails whenever he would start to cook, for they all knew something delicious was coming their way. In his younger days, Vic was known to say he did not like dogs. This was somewhat contradicted throughout his life by the dozen or so dogs he owned as well as the three rescue wolves he and Helen harbored during their 40+ years together. His animals were always rescues. He had a penchant for taking on those less fortunate and trying to better their lives, whether they be animals or people. While cars were his life's work, his passion was music. He and his brother Mike, along with his best fiend Poe, began playing around the Tidewater area in the early 1960s and he kept it up as long as he was physically able. His standup bass, Mrs. Jones, was his second love, outdone only by his wife of 40+ years, Helen. He played with the traveling band Mark V during the 1970s as a vocalist and bass player, and continued the tradition with various local musicians throughout his life. He especially enjoyed playing with Poe and his friend Jimmy Allsbrook. His house was filled with various musical instruments, and he had a story behind each of them. Papa Vito, as he was known to his immediate family, is survived by his wife Helen, his son and daughter-in-law Jim and Angela Bateman of Arnold, MD, three grandsons, three great-granddaughters, his brother Mike and nephew Colby. A memorial service will be held 3:00 PM Friday, July 14 at Twiford Funeral Homes, 405 E. Church St., Elizabeth City, NC 27909. In leu of flowers, he would have preferred a donation in his name be made to the SPCA of Northeastern North Carolina, checkout.shelterluv.com/donate/NENC.