Obituaries

Phyllis Cottle, Advocate for Crime Victims, Dies at 73

Phyllis R. "Bobbie" Cottle was raped, beaten, blinded with a knife and left to die in a burning car nearly 30 years ago. That hardship turned her into an advocate for victims' rights and the rights of the blind.

Phyllis R. "Bobbie" Cottle was raped, beaten, blinded with a knife and left to die in a burning car nearly 30 years ago. 

That hardship had turned the Cuyahoga Falls resident into an advocate for victims' rights and the rights of the blind.

Cottle spent years being a vocal advocate and died Jan. 25 of cancer at the age of 73.

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Cottle's daughter Dianne Cannady told the Record-Courier the family will continue a letter-writing campaign to the Ohio Parole Authority when her assailant, Samuel Herring, is eligible for parole in July 2019.

See photos of Cottle on Ohio.com. Those include a photo of Cottle teaching students about blindness at the Hillcrest elementary school in Bath.

Find out what's happening in Cuyahoga Fallswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Have you ever gotten the chance to meet Cottle or hear her at a speaking engagement? Tell us in the comments.


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