Ida Cotto

Cotto, Ida passed away on Friday, February 21, 2014 in Orlando, Florida. She was born in New York City on June 16, 1925 to Juanita and Horacio Soler. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband Rafael Cotto. She moved to Puerto Rico in 1963 with her family and told everyone the best years of her life were the 24 years she lived there. Ida graduated from Central Commercial High School in New York City and gradually worked her way up to Executive Secretary with Bechtel, her favorite employer. She loved to sing, play the piano, do crosswork puzzles, cook for friends and family, and read every chance she got. At one time she belonged to three choirs: a church choir, a community choir, and the island-wide symphonic choir, where she had the great privilege of singing Brahms' Requiem in German, Mozart's Requiem, Bach's Passion of St. Matthew, the entire Handel's Messiah and much more. Belonging to a chapter of the Sweet Adelines was also a very exciting part of her life where she was a tenor in the Co-Keys Quartet, which was appropriately named after the tiny tree frog native to Puerto Rico, the "coqui." Even though she didn't know how to read music, she grew up in a family that always had a piano in the parlor and lots of musical talent. She learned to play piano by ear and at one time was pianist at the chucrh her parents attended. In 1987, she moved to Florida and in 1989 became a devoted member of the St. Cloud Presbyterian Church and choir. She was once president of the Osceola County Friends of the Library, volunteered at the Thrifty Center in St. Cloud, and was involved in numerous other clubs. She was very proud of three of her children who graduated Magna Cum Laude from different universities at the graduate level. Not only was Ida pleased with the three children who received graduate degrees, she was also happy she had a son who stayed close and helped care for her and her home. Ida is survived by her two sons, Rafael (Ray) Cotto and Rev. David Cotto, and two daughters, Dr. Miriam Morey and Lisa Van Dam; three granddaughters, Tabitha Cotto, who married Deontai Alexander, Hannah Cotto, who graduated as a nurse, Robin Morey, granddaughter who graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Miami, and a daughter-in-law, Tina Cotto. A Memorial Service will be held at 3pm, Sunday, March 2, 2014 at the St. Cloud Presbyterian Church presided over by Rev. Steve Graves. Arrangements under the care of Osceola Memory Gardens Funeral Home, 1717 Old Boggy Creek Road, Kissimmee, FL 34744 (407) 847-2494 www.OsceolaMemGds.com

Ida Cotto

June 16, 1925 - February 21, 2014