Dr. Hazel Caldwell Cotney

Hazel Caldwell Cotney died Friday morning March 24, 2017, at Upson Regional Medical Center. She was 86 years old. Dr. Cotney was born on September 11, 1930 in Taylor County, Georgia, the fifth child of six born to Mattie J. Stalnaker Caldwell and Johnnie William Caldwell. Funeral services for Dr. Cotney will be held on Sunday, March 26th, 2017 at 3:00 PM at the First Baptist Church in Thomaston. Burial will follow in South View Cemetery. The family will receive friends at Fletcher Day Funeral home on Saturday from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Dr. Cotney is pre-deceased by her husband, Dr. Thomas M. Cotney, Sr. of Thomaston, her brother, Johnnie L. Caldwell, Sr., and her sisters Inez Caldwell Eubanks and Minnie Caldwell Daniel. She is survived by her children Thomas M. (Tom) Cotney, Jr and his wife Kathy of Atlanta, Dr. Mark E. Cotney and his wife Shirley Anne of Thomaston, and Catherine Cotney (Cathy) Harvil and her husband Greg of Marietta, along with siblings E.B. (Jack) Caldwell and Betty Caldwell Sanders of Fayetteville. Dr. Cotney and her husband received their Doctorates in Chiropractic at Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa. They practiced together in Thomaston until Dr. Cotney left the practice to become the Executive Director of the Georgia Chiropractic Association where she served for over 15 years. She was recognized by the GCA as Chiropractor of the Year and with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the association. Dr. Cotney was also a long-time member of the Business and Professional Women’s Club of Thomaston. Hazel, as she was known by family, was a proud member of the First Baptist Church of Thomaston. She served the Lord in many roles there. One of her favorites was as a member of the Builders Sunday School class which served the community through a weekly radio broadcast. She also led the “Prime Timers” program for the Builders which was a bi-monthly ministry for seniors in Thomaston. Additionally, she drove cancer patients to the Metro Atlanta area for treatment for the Upson Ministerial Association. Hazel was a Braves baseball fan and a fan of any team for whom her children or grandchildren played, coached, or cheered. She was an avid traveler with church groups, local travel agents and her daughter Cathy. Hazel’s biggest passions were family and service to others. Her moral compass was firm. Her compassion for others was deep. Her judgment of others was withheld if it even existed. She accepted new members to her family as her own and supported the entire family, including extended family her entire life.