Timothy (Tim) Paul Bott
MARQUETTE, MI – Timothy (Tim) Paul Bott, entered eternal life late at night on Saturday, March 27th. He was surrounded by loved ones who helped carry him gently and peacefully to the other side. In January 2015, Tim was handed a cancer diagnosis and 6 months to live. In typical Tim fashion, he wasn’t satisfied with this information and managed to live for over 5 years. Even though he spent some of that time chasing treatments and clinical trials, he crammed as many memories into his life as possible. You never know which day will be your last, and Tim lived that mentality to the fullest! In that 5 year period, Tim traveled across the country and saw beautiful places such as North Carolina, the Everglades, Florida Keys, Great Smoky Mountains, the Cumberland Gap, the complete totality of the solar eclipse, and a Detroit Lions football game. The best part is that he saw most of these places from the comfort of his RV! He cherished every birthday and Christmas he got to spend with his family; Christmas was his favorite holiday, and every year was more special than the last. Tim loved to “hang out” and be with his kids, who were equally as grateful to spend quality time with their dad. Even though those 5 years had some ups and downs, the good memories are what were remembered. Anyone could look at Tim and say he truly lived life to the fullest!
Tim was born on June 20, 1964, to Thomas and Donna (Ramsey) Bott. He grew up a farm boy downstate in Remus, Michigan. He went to Chippewa Hills High School and obtained his Bachelor’s degree from Ferris State University. After graduation in 1986, he got a call to work at Marquette Branch Prison. He had to look at an atlas to see where the heck that was! He packed up and moved to Marquette, which was his home since 1987. It was in Marquette that he met his wife, Tamra Bott (Clift), who had also relocated to Marquette from downstate. Both of them found lucrative jobs in their career field. Tim and Tami got married in 1990 and went on to raise two beautiful children. Tim worked for the Michigan Department of Corrections from 1987-2006, but retired early. He worked as a substitute teacher for a couple years, and then started his own painting business, One Coat at a Time, in 2008. He owned/operated his business from 2008-2015, painting many local homes and businesses. Tim ended his career working as a butcher at Valle’s Grocery Store. If you ran into him at work, he’d often say he “wanted to show you something” and proceed to tell you about the latest cuts of meat at the store!
Tim had a plethora of nicknames throughout his youth, including Timmy, Whitey, and Puffer. These names might give you some insight into his sense of humor. Tim was known as a jokester, and raised his children to appreciate pranks and a good sense of humor! In addition to his goofiness, Tim was friendly, curious, observant, and passionate. Tim lived a very active life with his hobbies to the point where there wasn’t room for much else; he shared his passions with his wife and children. Tim loved the Detroit Lions, and was often seen sporting a Lions hat or shirt. He rooted for the Lions no matter what; he could not be interrupted if the game was on! Tim loved to hunt and fish – mostly hunting over the past several years. He considered himself to be an avid sportsman. Tim was an accomplished marathon runner; he ran 20 marathons including the Boston Marathon. He later discovered his love for mountain biking, and spent several years trail riding and racing with his buddies. Tim was spontaneous and adventurous; he spent summers camping with his family, and picked random spots on the map for Bott family adventures!
After Tami’s death, Tim met his partner, Tiina Morin. Tiina quickly became part of the Bott family, sharing many holidays, adventures, and shenanigans with Tim and his kids. Tim and Tiina shared a special bond, and helped each other heal from life’s curveballs. Tim’s kids describe Tiina as a gift to the family, and refer to her as the “closest thing to a mom” after losing their own. Tim brought out Tiina’s adventurous side, and Tiina helped Tim see beauty in a dark world.
Tim is preceded in death by the love of his life, Tamra Bott; his mother, Donna Bott; and his father-in-law, Ross Clift.
Tim is survived by his children, Alexandra (Alex) and Ethan Bott; his partner, Tiina Morin; his parents, Thomas and Mary-Lynn Bott; brothers, Thom and Gale (Sarah) Bott; sister, Dion (Paul) Harrah; mother-in-law, Bobbie Clift; brother-in-law, Tom (Lisa) Clift; and many wonderful aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews; a special shout out goes to his “special cousins”, Kirk, Joey, and Max Bott; and “buddy nephews”, Arden and Ramsey Bott.
The family would like to offer special thanks to Dr. Sheetal Acharya, Angels of Mercy, the Marquette Cancer Club, and the National Institute of Health. Services will be held in the form of a private family gathering. In lieu of flowers, condolences and memorials may be sent to Alex and Ethan Bott, 717 N. Front Street #2, Marquette, MI 49855. The family would love to hear any “Tim stories” you may have!
Fassbender Swanson Hansen Funeral and Cremation Services is serving the family, where condolences may be expressed online at fassbenderswansonhansen.com