The East Nashville and citywide meals communities suffered a loss this week with the dying of Kathleen Cotter. Cotter, who was 54, based The Bloomy Rind, Nashville’s artisan cheese store and cheese wholesaler, and with it launched hundreds of individuals to American cheeses and Southeastern cheeses, and helped them hook up with regional cheesemakers.
Cotter, who valued her privateness, battled pancreatic most cancers for two-and-a-half years, though the general public and her acquaintances had been unaware. She continued operating a enterprise, touring the world, and sharing in pals’ and members of the family’ achievements and celebrations in between therapies. Whereas Cotter’s life was lower too quick, she packed loads into her years, having labored within the music business and in company human assets earlier than deciding to turn out to be an entrepreneur and assist different aspiring entrepreneurs.
“When she give up [her HR job] and began The Bloomy Rind, I believed it was the bravest factor I’d seen from a pal — quitting a secure and safe job and going out by yourself,” says Aaron Distler, proprietor of Mr. Aaron’s Items. “I by no means actually informed her how a lot it impressed me, nevertheless it gave me numerous braveness once I went off by myself path. She led the best way by instance, promoting to the most effective eating places on the town, making pals with clients and doing retail gross sales. She made an actual distinction and linked with of us. She positively cast a path for all of us to observe and can go away an enormous gap locally.”
Cotter spoke up for the issues she believed in, whether or not that meant having entry for kayaking on the Cumberland River whilst soccer stadium development threatened public entry, defending girls’s rights or serving to folks perceive the connection to artisan meals purveyors.
Longtime pals — together with Katie Paden Sturdivant, who grew up with Cotter exterior Atlanta — inform the Scene about her thoughtfulness for others and for the group.
“Once I consider Kathleen, I consider somebody who confirmed up — which isn’t one thing I can confidently say about many individuals nowadays,” says Virginia McMahon, basic supervisor and grasp captain at River Queen Voyages. “However past her literal presence on the water and in our Season Cross program, she additionally all the time confirmed up any time she might assist us. Whether or not it was reshares or likes on social media or writing the Metro Council to assist us advocate for our river entry, Kathleen was proper there with a full coronary heart and resolute confidence. She deeply cared about her group, and he or she acted on it in methods each huge and small. Her loss isn’t just devastating for our River Queen household, however for Nashville as an entire.”
Chris Carter, one of many homeowners of Porter Street Butcher — who shared their retail house on Gallatin Avenue with The Bloomy Rind for plenty of years — remembers assembly Cotter when each companies had been beginning up and had cubicles on the East Nashville Farmers Market. “Each Wednesday, after shutting down the farmers market, we might shut down 3 Crow,” says Carter, who was among the many pals who referred to as Cotter “Cheesie.” He says he admired the no-nonsense method she educated clients about cheese, and the years she based and ran the Southern Artisan Cheese Competition.
In response to an Instagram publish from The Bloomy Rind, Cotter’s brother and devoted staff will proceed to order cheese and serve wholesale restaurant shoppers.
Nonprofits Cotter supported included Second Harvest Meals Financial institution of Center Tennessee (she chaired their Beneficiant Helpings fundraiser a number of occasions), the Cumberland River Compact and Les Dames d’Escoffier Nashville (of which she was a member). Any of these organizations or Alive Hospice could be applicable locations to make a charitable donation in her identify. Her household is planning a celebration-of-life service for September or October.
