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Much-loved truckie Cotty passes

Billy ‘Cotty’ Cowen passed away on 27 September after a 25-month battle with lung cancer

 

Billy drove for Eastoes, Marsdens and Bunker Freight Lines across a long career in transport that kicked off with him doing milk runs around Melbourne as a young man.

Billy’s step son Gary James got in touch with Owner//Driver to notify readers of his late step-father’s passing.

“”I tried a lot of different jobs from sheep stations, panel beaters, welding to running an auto electrics shop, but my true calling was to drive and Bill made that easy for me,” Gary remembers.

“He was always interested in where I was going and what I was doing and I loved that he took good care of my mum after Peewee passed away and even though we got off to a bad start I could not have wished for anyone better to be my step dad,” he says.

In touching tribute to Billy, his wife Minette shared a eulogy outlining his life as both a truckie and a family man.

“He was a man of the highest quality, a true gentleman of the old school, if he was knocked down he shook it off and got back up again,” Minette says.

“He always had a soft spot for those doing it hard and his charity put a few blokes on their feet.

“No one will ever match up to him,” she says.

Rest in peace Cotty.

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