February 3, 1945 – May 28, 2026
John Sloan Cotner, 81, passed away May 28, 2026, in St Louis, MO. He was born February 3, 1945, to Sloan and Roberta (Swan) Cotner and was preceded in death by his parents, sister Charlette (Cotner) Neal and twin brothers Jack and Jerry Cotner.
In 1966 John and Lana Austin Cotner were married; she survives him, along with their sons John Charles Cotner, Esq. of Sonoma, CA, and Edward Sloan Cotner, MD, of Santa Barbara, CA. He is also survived by two grandchildren, Grace Samantha Cotner of Santa Barbara, CA, and Maizey Cotner of Sonoma, CA. Loving survivors also include a sister and brother-in-law, Tana (Austin) and Roy Spiekermann of Creve Cour, godson Josh Spiekermann of LA and numerous nieces and nephews.
John graduated from Central High School in 1962, received a business administration degree from Southeast Missouri State University, a master’s in business finance from the University of Denver, CO as well as a PhD in finance from St Louis University.
After working in industry for 10 years, he proceeded to teach international finance at Loyola University in Baltimore where he spearheaded the Executive MBA program, developing a curriculum focused on comparing emerging and established business cultures around the world. As part of his teaching and consulting, John traveled extensively exploring these global economies.
After retiring, the couple settled in Ridgway, CO, where they enjoyed horseback riding, skiing and hiking.
Capping off his love of travel, John proudly climbed Mount Kilimanjaro to celebrate his 75th birthday.
A celebration of John’s life will be held later this fall in Ridgway.
