Deneen Renee Cotton Coleman

In the beginning Deneen Renee’ Cotton was born to Luther Cotton Jr. and Marguerite Willis Cotton on February 12, 1965. Deneen was the first of three children. Her smile and charismatic personality were infectious.

Deneen met and married Drake Coleman and from that union were born two sons, Ellis Jamal and Niles Alexander, who inspired and encouraged her during her life’s journey. They were the apple of her eye!

Deneen became friends with the many people she met. She was a “people person” throughout her life, helping others, gift shopping in department stores to buy presents. She loved her beautiful clothes and jewelry. She was funny and loved to laugh. She took her boys on many trips, especially to Disney World in Florida.

During those glamorous years she introduced the family to the music of Luther Vandross. She loved and always wanted to visit and see her cousins and relatives in St. Louis, MO. Her favorite aunt was Rosemary Willis Smith.

Deneen’s Church Life:

Deneen professed her hope in Jesus Christ early in life. She was baptized at Greater Liberty Baptist Church on April 17, 1977, under the pastorate of the late Jerome M. Lewis, Sr.

Her involvement in the ministries in her early and teen years were:

Voices of Heaven Choir

Seeds of Promise

Sunday School

Vice President of the Hattie Jackson Guild Girls Missionary Society

Many church programs

She traveled with her group to meet up with other guild girls from different churches and cities to participate in Christian Worship Services.

Her accomplishments in life are far too numerous to try to tell on one page in a book.

Deneen’s Schooling:

Deneen attended Pleasant Hill Elementary School from kindergarten to the 6^th grade and Schwab Jr. High School from the 7^th grade to the 9^th grade.

Deneen later attended Aiken High School in her sophomore year until she graduated. She performed at all the Aiken football games. She was selected out of many girls to perform in the National Football Games. In her senior year at Aiken High School, she was picked to represent the high school along with other high schools to travel to Hawaii to perform at the Orange Bowl. In her senior year she became captain of the Aiken Drill Team.

Deneen went on to attend Wilmington College in Wilmington, Ohio and graduated with honors and awards. She later enrolled in Cincinnati State Technical Community College, graduating with a 3.5 GPA, cum laude, and with an Associate Applied Business Degree, majoring in Administrative Office Assistant. She participated in the Black Male Initiative, Black Student Union Leadership Club, Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, and Student Services Trio Program.

Deneen was awarded the William N. Eickernhorst Memorial Scholarship for 2017-2019.

Deneen’s Work Accomplishments:

Deneen in her earlier years worked at Kingsland in Cincinnati, Ohio, Lazarus Department Store, and The General Electric Credit Department for many years.

She later worked at the United States Postal Service in the Communication Department for many years until her death.

Her family is very proud of her and her accomplishments. There were not too many things she could not achieve.

We Love You then and For Always

Deneen leaves to cherish her memory; her mother Marguerite Willis Cotton; Drake Coleman; two sons, Ellie Jamal Coleman and Niles Alexander Coleman; two brothers, Luther Cotton III (Cornelia) and Lawrence Cotton; cousins aunts, many friends, and a host of relatives.

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