Meet Our Staff

“The life of service to our community means a lot to my family…ours is a special place to raise a family and to serve each other.”

Mike Cotter is a lifetime funeral director and second-generation president of Cotter Funeral & Cremation Care. Mike graduated from Abbot Pennings High School in West De Pere in 1979. He attended St. Norbert College in De Pere and graduated from Worsham College of Mortuary Science in Illinois in 1983. Mike is also a Certified Crematory Operator.

In addition to working with his son Matthew as they manage the operations of the funeral homes and crematory, Mike maintains a long list of accomplishments and activities. He is an active member of the St. Mary Catholic Community in De Pere and a member of the Knights of Columbus Council 3955 of De Pere. Mike is also on the Board of Directors for The Catholic Foundation, an active member of The Brown County Coalition for Suicide Prevention, a member of the National Funeral Directors Association and Wisconsin Funeral Directors Association, and President of the De Pere Optimist Club.

Mike enjoys volunteer and fundraising work, especially for the Brown County Suicide Prevention Coalition, Ecumenical Partnership for Housing, The Hope Squad and Hands Across De Pere, the NEW Community Shelter, and Optimist Club, among other community organizations. He was also an active volunteer coach of youth basketball for over 30 years, having coached the J.V. boys’ basketball team at Notre Dame Academy and Abbot Pennings High School, various middle school teams for De Pere and Notre Dame Grade schools, as well as AAU Basketball teams.

In his personal time, he enjoys spending time with his wife, JoAnn, and their three children and their spouses, traveling, coaching various youth sporting ventures, and spending time at their family cottage in Door County.

"I am inheriting a strong tradition of integrity and compassion from my father and grandfather, and I look forward to carrying on the tradition of serving families as a professional and as a friend."

Matt grew up in De Pere, graduating from Notre Dame Grade School followed by De Pere High School. Matt earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in physiology in May 2011 from Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI, and graduated from the Worsham College of Mortuary Science in 2012. Matt is also a licensed life insurance agent and CANA Certified Crematory Operator.

Matt is a third-generation funeral director and will serve as the third generation of family owners at Cotter Funeral & Cremation Care. 

Professionally, he is a member of the National Funeral Directors Association and the Wisconsin Funeral Directors Association. He is a member of Resurrection Catholic Parish in Allouez, the Knights of Columbus Fr. Claude Allouez Council, and the Allouez Sunrise Optimist Club. 

Like his grandfather and father, he is passionate about serving families and believes strongly in giving back to the families he serves through community service. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, spending time at the cottage in Door County with family and friends, and various building projects.

“Empathy, patience, and compassion are the cornerstones of our family caring for your family.”

JoAnn assists with the aftercare program for the families served by the funeral homes and crematory. Our care and compassion for families extends beyond the funeral, and it is our mission to be there to assist in any way we can.

JoAnn is a lifelong De Pere resident, growing up in the town of Lawrence and graduating from St. Joseph Grade School and West De Pere High School. JoAnn went on to graduate from St. Norbert College with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and retired Partner and Leadership Team member of Wipfli LLP, a top 20 accounting firm in the United States, where she worked for 34 years.

JoAnn is an active member of St. Mary Church. She serves on the Board of Directors and Finance Council for the Green Bay Diocese; the Board of Directors, Audit Committee, and Loan Committee for CIB Marine Bank and CIB Marine Bancshares; the Board of Directors and Audit Committee for Society Insurance; the Board of Directors for Encompass Foundation; a council member for Unity Hospice Community Development Council and the President’s Advisory Council for St. Norbert College; and she is active with several other nonprofit organizations in the area.

JoAnn married Mike in 1984 and lives in De Pere, where they raised their three children, Matthew, Eric, and Alayna. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, spending time at their cottage in Door County, and various outdoor activities.

Andrea Wendt is a funeral director who joined Cotter Funeral & Cremation Care in April 2023. Andrea earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology in 2015 from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse and graduated from the Funeral Service program at Milwaukee Area Technical College as Valedictorian of the class of 2021. She is also a Certified Crematory Operator through the National Funeral Directors Association.

Andrea is originally from the Madison area and now resides in Green Bay with her fiancé, Andy. In her free time, Andrea loves spending time with her family, attending concerts, and collecting vinyl records.

Mary Rueckl is an Advance Funeral Planner and a licensed insurance agent, joining Cotter Funeral & Cremation Care in 2003. Mary entered the funeral service field in January 1986, and since then, she has become an expert in all aspects of the funeral planning process. She takes great pride in caring for families and the well-being of the community at large. Mary believes all families should be treated as if they were her own.

Mary is a lifelong area resident, currently residing in Ledgeview with her husband Todd, and daughter Karli. Mary and her family are active members of St. Mary Catholic Church. Spending time with her family is her true passion. She also enjoys cooking, gardening, and volunteering in her community.

Dana Paler is the Advance Planning Specialist and Licensed Life Insurance Agent who joined Cotter Funeral & Cremation Care in March 2022.  

In the industries that she has contributed to during her career, Dana takes pride in the positive influence and experiences she has given to her guests, teams, and community. Her passion for the funeral industry and the importance of having conversations about preplanning services has come due to her own life events. Dana's attention to detail, listening skills, and organizational skills will assist in creating a plan to honor a life well-lived before, during, and after your time of need.

Outside of the office, Dana loves to spend time in the kitchen, experimenting with new recipes for her family dinner nights. She also loves being active with her dogs and traveling the world with her husband, Matthew. When they travel, they focus on seeing iconic churches (St. Paul's Cathedral is a must-see) and significant war history locations (Normandy is a tear-jerker). 

Mary Lynn Glowacki has worked in housekeeping part-time for Cotter Funeral & Cremation Care for four years. A De Pere native, she is a graduate of West De Pere High School and also works as an inventory manager for School Specialty in Appleton. She enjoys reading, listening to audiobooks, and traveling.

Mike Donart is a funeral associate who has assisted part-time at Cotter Funeral & Cremation Care since 2015. 

The former Brown County Sheriff (1992-1996) spent 24 years with the department as a law enforcement officer. A Green Bay native, Mike attended Green Bay West High School, and he now lives in Allouez. He has a grown daughter and son and six grandchildren. 

Mike is a member of the Knights of Columbus, SERRA (a Catholic association that promotes religious life), and the Resurrection Catholic Parish. He has been a long-time volunteer with the CP Center and the American Red Cross. He enjoys volunteering and working the K of C cribbage tournament.

Biography coming soon!

Marv joined Cotter Funeral & Cremation Care in 2017 after retiring as a partner in Associates Insurance.

Marv graduated from De Pere High School in 1968 and drove semis until he joined Harvestor, where he worked until 1986 when he purchased his first insurance agency, Kiekhaefer Insurance, in Morrison. Marv sold that insurance agency to Denmark State Bank in 1997 but continued to operate the insurance company as part of the bank. Marv re-purchased the insurance agency in 2007 and continued to work as a partner until his retirement in December 2016.

Marv married Faye Hennessey on June 14, 1973, and they have two children: Amy, a nursing manager at Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee, and Bill, a canine deputy with Waupaca County. Marv and Faye also have 2 grandsons and 2 granddaughters. In his spare time, Marv likes to ride horses and his motorcycle, and he attends his grandchildren’s sporting activities.