Nicholas Alma Devey Cottam
September 3, 1999 – February 1, 2026
It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Nicholas (Nick) Alma Devey Cottam, of Vancouver, Washington and most recently Alpine, Utah on Sunday, February 1, 2026, in Vineyard, UT. Through Nick’s 26 years of life, he spread joy to all those who were blessed to know him. Nick was born on September 3, 1999, in Huntington, WV to Jessica Marie Kenney.
He was preceded in death by aunt Michelle Zaharias, and uncle Keegan Westphal.
He is survived by his loving parents, Clifford Jacob Cottam and Jessica Marie Cottam, brothers Anthony Paul Kenney and Tyler William Devey Cottam, sister-in-law Kirsten Kenney, nephew Matthew, niece Hadilyn, and nephew Bennett of Vancouver, WA. Nick was the beloved great-grandson of Sibyl Gines of Mesquite, NV. He was the treasured grandson of Paul James Kenney and Ruby Jane Kenney of Pineville, WV; Clifford Lowell Cottam and Rebecca Sue Cottam of Hillsboro, OR; Ronald Kay Devey and Penney Allyn Devey of Alpine, UT; and Mark Lane Clutter and Lori Rae Clutter of Tulsa, OK. He leaves behind many aunts and uncles who adored him: Paul James Kenney, Jr., Benjamin & Mindy Cottam, Joseph & Neva Cottam, Aaron Cottam, Michael & Heather Wynkoop, Zachary & Ann Cottam, Patricia Westphal, William & Kimberly Paras, Jennifer Boehm, and Aaron Zaharias. His numerous great aunts, uncles and cousins will also miss him greatly.
Nick was always climbing and jumping off of things. Trees, interior walls, buildings, porches, climbing walls. He just loved climbing. He could often be spotted hanging near the ceiling like spider man. Because he was always tall, as an adult he was 6’ 6”, he was also a magnet for children who wanted to climb him. He enjoyed this as much as they did. Nick was always great with kids, as well as animals.
Nick spent his middle school years at iTech Prep in Vancouver, WA, where his love of computer programming and Rubik’s cubes was born. His Rubik’s cube collection was vast and included a 13 x 13 cube on which he loved creating chevron patterns and mountain peaks. He could give a cube to someone else to mix up and then solve it behind his back. His grandma Penney was always buying bigger, harder puzzles for him to solve but never found one he couldn’t overcome in a matter of minutes. He won a competition by reciting over 100 digits of Pi.
He attended Hudson Bay High School in Vancouver, WA, where he was a favorite among teachers as well as students. He was a star hurdler, sprinter, and relay runner for the track team, Hudson Bay Eagles, earning a place in the regional championships. He was presented the Gordon Patterson award at graduation, in recognition of his enthusiasm for learning and sharing knowledge of technology and design with fellow students.
Nick was the embodiment of the Scout Law: Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent. He loved his time in Scouting, where he also had many friends. He enjoyed camping, hiking, cycling, and snowshoeing with his family and Scout Troop. He worked as summer camp staff for Camp Lewis in Battle Ground, WA and later at Camp Meriwether in Tillamook, OR. Like his grandpa, dad, uncles, and brother, Nick attained the rank of Eagle Scout. For his Eagle Scout project, he built and installed a park information board at Curtin Creek.
Nick was a kind and helpful young man. He was always there when you needed help with something around the house or in his community. He volunteered with the Tree Team every spring to plant trees at the Salmon Creek trail, with the City of Vancouver to harvest carrots at Heritage Farm in Hazel Dell, with his Scout Troop in many varying activities, and with his family picking up litter and installing storm drain markers for Clark County’s Clean Water program. When he moved to Alpine, Nick could often be seen up and down the road helping his grandparents, aunts and uncles
After graduation, Nick took a job with Wall to Wall Stone & Tile where he learned how to cut stone and use CAD software. During his time there he made several original art pieces from scrap stone.
Nick was in his element whenever computers were around. He enjoyed everything from programming and writing code to playing video games. He was working on a computer science degree at Western Governors University in Utah and was less than a year from graduation. While working on his degree, he lived with his grandparents, Ron & Penney, in Alpine, UT and worked as a manager for his grandpa’s landscaping company as well as for the city of Vineyard, UT.
Nick is a bright spirit, and though his physical presence may no longer grace our lives, his spirit will continue to inspire and uplift us. We are certain he was received into the loving arms of his great grandparents, aunt and uncle who were there to greet him as he left this world. May his memory be a blessing, and may we carry forth his legacy of love and compassion in all that we do.
A Celebration of Life for Nick will be held twice:
Saturday, February 7, 2026 at 11:00 am at the Warenski Funeral Home, 1776 N 900 E, American Fork, UT 84003.
Saturday, February 14, 2026 at 11:00 am at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 2223 NW 99th St, Vancouver WA 98665