Francis Louise Kotmel

Francis Louis Kotmel

Age 81 of Montour Falls, NY, passed away in his home, surrounded by his three children on Wednesday, October 1, 2025 at 5:00 pm.

Francis was born on April 22, 1944 in Montour Falls to his mother Elsa (Sniszek) Kotmel and his father John Kotmel.

He grew up in a house filled with love and laughter where he was the youngest child of the family, with two older brothers, John and Vincent. He often spoke of the other children he grew up with as well; the many foster brothers his parents took in over the years. Regardless of his companions on any given day, he spent most of his youth hunting, fishing and enjoying the many acres of land surrounding his home “up on the hill.”

Even when he almost lost his leg in a hunting accident that left beebees from a 12 gauge shotgun shell in his leg, he never gave up his love for nature.

He attended Odessa-Montour Central High School, where he was the last of the “four lettermen” having run track as well as having played football, basketball, and baseball. In 1985 he was inducted into the OMCS Sports Hall of Fame and often happily reminisced about his years as a star athlete.

Upon graduation, he earned a scholarship to Ithaca College where he earned a BS in Physical Education. After that he worked as a teacher, and athletic director at Whitesville High School where took a rag tag basketball team well into the state championship tournament.

For years after that Fran worked as the recreational coordinator at Sampson which was a state institution for adults with special needs where he was able to help people who had been left and forgotten to live meaningful lives filled with music, games, and love.

Fran held many positions after that in a wide variety of fields. He worked as a carpenter, a salesman, and businessman. For ten years he also worked as a property development director for the Seven Lakes Girl Scout Council, building countless unique campgrounds for girls across New York to enjoy, including a treehouse camp.

At around the age of 40 he left the stability of a full time position and ventured into entrepreneurship. He founded two companies. One was Overview Construction and the other was The Family Tree Company. He owned several properties in NYS as well as one in Florida. Even then, he took on new challenges and responsibilities by helping to start a Physical Rehabilitation Center in Lakeland, Florida where he worked as a consultant and a kinesiotherapist. He did similar work in Dublin, Georgia at the VA as well.

When he finally retired he moved back up from Florida to live on the land where he and all his children were raised.

While he held many occupational positions over the years, the titles most important to him were son, brother, husband, father, uncle, grandfather, and great grandfather. He was a family man through and through.

Francis was also a devoted friend and would gladly lend a hand to anyone in need.

He carried on his parents’ legacy by taking in and caring for children within the community, and always providing a warm bed and an abundance of food and love for those in need. His grandchildren called him “Super Poppy” because of his many heroic feets and narrow escapes from injury and death throughout the years. But sadly, even our heroes must pass from this earth eventually.

Francis was predeceased by his wife Carol, father, John, his mother Elsa, and his brothers John and Vincent.

He is survived by his daughters, Kelly Andrea Kotmel-King and Karen Elizabeth Sherrard; his son, Michael Francis Kotmel; and his nine grandchildren, Aaron King, Joshua King, Jacob King, Nicholas King, Kason Sherrard, Adison Sherrard, Krislyn Kotmel, Maddux Kotmel, and Ryker Kotmel, and one great-grandchild, Roselyn May Langlais-King. He is also survived by his sister-in-law Lovina Kotmel and her four children, Vince Jr., Moe, Brian, and Kathy as well as his eldest brother’s son John Kotmel.

Francis has left a legacy of love, joy, compassion, acceptance, and a deep reverence for this miraculous thing we call life.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Francis’s name to the American Cancer Society (www.Cancer.org).

A celebration of life will be held around Thanksgiving at the family home. Details will be shared ASAP. Online condolences may be share with the family at www.RoyceChedzoy.com. Royce-Chedzoy Funeral Home of Watkins Glen is assisting the family.