Matthew Scott Cottle

Matthew Scott Cottle, 60, of Atascadero, California, died May 27, 2019, at home with family at his side following a long illness.He was born on November 6, 1958, at Portsmouth (Ohio) Mercy Hospital; the first child of Cecil Anson and Alene Leola Scott Cottle. Matthew was a graduate of Clay High School in Portsmouth, Ohio. Following high school, he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance and Economics from the University of Kentucky and was involved in numerous activities including the University Honors Program and the Student Activities Board. For a time, he also served as an academic tutor to the storied men’s basketballprogram. After receiving his degree from UK, Matthew was hired as the salaried manager for a fast food joint, Burger Chef, in the sleepy farm-town of Amelia, Ohio. He once remarked that he was the lowest-paid employee in the store and would likely be better off joining the bootleggers that ran surplus soda syrup across the I-270 bridge from Kentucky to beat the higher Ohio taxes. A descendant of moonshiners, he may have been a natural, but instead Matthew set his sights on an MBA program, eventually being accepted into the Carl Lindner School of Business at the University of Cincinnati. Successfully earning his MBA, Matthew embarked on a career in Institutional Advancement, becoming a noted expert in developing and managing fundraising programs for colleges,universities, and non-profits, both public and private. He was regularly a speaker, panelist, and workshop facilitator for his professional organization, the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and was instrumental in launching the San Luis Obispo AFP chapter in 2014. During his career he held positions including: Founding Corporate and Foundation Relations Director for Prairie View A&M University; Director of Development for the National Urban League (working directly under famed Education advocate and community organizer Donald Hense); Director of Development for the University of Idaho; Assistant Dean for the School of Engineering at Princeton University; Director of Major Gifts for the National Academy of Sciences; Founding Vice President at Franklin W. Olin College; Vice President and CEO of the Foundation at West Liberty State University; Assistant Dean and Executive Director for Engineering Advancement at the California Polytechnic State University. Most recently, he was a Senior Director at CCS, consulting for various advancement projects including serving as Interim Chief Advancement Officer at St. Michael’s Abbey in Orange County, CA. A lifelong learner, Matthew never shied away from new experiences or opportunities. Drawing on eclectic influences from Metallica to Ed Sheeran, Matthew played trombone in his High School Marching Band and later in life took up bass guitar. A live music connoisseur, he could often be seen dancing, or as he called it, “moving enthusiastically to music”, usually in tandem with his loving wife, Joy. Matthew was also a long time supporter of community theater, having been on stage himself in high school, supporting Towngate Theater in Wheeling WV, and later,as a board member of the San Luis Obispo Repertory Theatre. In addition, Matthew was an avid reader and outdoorsman, backpacker, distance runner, and distance cyclist who’d regularly log upwards of 100 miles on weekend rides. He was an active member of the Sierra Club and even led backcountry trips for students when he was on staff at Princeton University. Ever civically minded, Matthew was a long-time Rotarian, earning the Paul Harris Fellow multiple times for his participation with the Rotary Foundation. With his most recent SLO chapter, he traveled annually to work with their sister chapter in Compostela, Mexico. Matthew was a true believer in living by one’s word, he never backed down from a challenge and always pushed for what he believed in. He was forever animated by a deep place of love for his community and an unceasing desire to make things better.Memorial donations may be made to the San Luis Obispo Repertory Theatre (SLO Rep) or The Sierra Club. Matthew is survived by his wife, Joy Swann Cottle; two sons, Devon Matthew of Los Angeles,CA, and Kiernan Scott of Morro Bay, CA; two brothers, Timothy Allen of Arlington, VA and Daniel Lee of Nicholasville, KY; two step children, Matthew John Swann and Molly Joy Swann of Atascadero, CA. and his former wife, Mary Elizabeth Cottle of Morro Bay, CA. Matthew was predeceased by his parents, Cecil and Alene Cottle of Portsmouth, OH. A celebration of Matthew’s life will be held Saturday June 8, 2019 at 10:30 a.m. at SLO Rep Theatre, 888 Morro Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401. A potluck reception will immediately follow in honor of Matthew’s love for potluck social gatherings!

Matthew Scott Cottle

November 6, 1958 - May 27, 2019