Seymour Tribune - January 2009 
John David Bottorff
John David Bottorff, 71, Seymour, passed away at 11:35 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, 2009, at Schneck Medical Center, Seymour.
Mr. Bottorff was a member of Cortland Christian Church and attended First United Methodist Church, Seymour. He spent six years in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. He was a member and past president of Seymour Country Club and a member of Elks Club. He was the founder and a board member of the Community Foundation of Jackson County, a board member of Jackson County Industrial Development Corp., president of the Franklin College Young Democrats, president of the Jackson County Young Democrats, president of the Ninth District Young Democrats, president of Indiana State Young Democrats and treasurer of the National Young Democrats. He was appointed to the Indiana State Real Estate Commission, Indiana Port Commission and Indiana Bicentennial Commission. He was Indiana's youngest elected Secretary of State from 1964 to 1966. He graduated from Cortland High School in 1955 and from Franklin College in 1959. He taught school and coached basketball at Reelsville High School for two years and one year at Culver High School. He was vice president of Indiana Investors Heritage Life Insurance Company in Kentucky. He was owner of the Ford dealership in Seymour for 11 years. He retired as president of the Seymour Chamber of Commerce after 18? years.
John was a loving husband, father, grandfather, "Pops," brother, uncle and friend. He possessed a wonderful giving spirit, was a loyal friend to many and always saw the best in everyone. He had a passion for sports, especially golf, baseball and basketball. John was a very competitive person always challenging himself to be the best he could be. He put his whole heart and soul into everything he did in life. He was a community-minded person and was proud of his Jackson County heritage. There was a special place in his heart for his hometown of Cortland.
Mr. Bottorff was born in Cortland on Aug. 2, 1937, the son of Marshall Jason "Tom" and Lillian Whiteford Bottorff, and stepson of Clarence Claycamp. On Aug. 7, 1981, in Seymour, he married Susan Forbes, who survives.
Other survivors include daughter, Alexandra Fettig, Nashville; stepdaughter, Molly (Chris) Marshall; stepson, Patrick Shelton; grandchildren, Jesse Fettig, Riley Fettig, Ellie Fettig, Jackson Roberts, Owen Marshall and Claire Marshall; sisters, Mary Beth (Gene) Johnson and Carol Ann Sauerhoff; sister-in-law, Pat Bottorff; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his parents, stepfather and brother, Thomas Eugene Bottorff.
The Rev. Steve Cherry and Rev. Bill Weaver will conduct funeral services at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at First United Methodist Church, Seymour.
Burial will follow at Cortland Christian Cemetery with a Voss dove release.
Friends may call from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Voss Chapel, Seymour, and from noon until time of service Wednesday at the church.
"Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never the same." -author unknown.