Rhonda Maria Cotton

Rhonda Maria Rochon Cotton passed away peacefully on Monday, August 4, 2025, following a long and courageous battle with Alzheimer’s Disease.  She was 73.

Born on April 6, 1952, to Lonnie Rochon and Carrie (Hampton) Rochon McAfee, Rhonda was a lifelong learner and passionate educator whose kindness, intelligence, and quiet strength left an indelible mark on all who knew her.

A proud graduate of St. Agnes Academy (Class of 1970), Rhonda was a National Merit Scholar who went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of California, Berkeley in 1974.   She completed her Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Houston in 1976.

Rhonda devoted her entire professional life to public education, serving the Houston Independent School District (HISD) from 1976 to 2013.  She began her career as a teacher at James Delbridge Ryan Middle School and went on to hold roles as instructional supervisor and principal.  She spent the most impactful chapter of her career as principal of Howard Payne Carter Career Center—an alternative school in Houston’s Fifth Ward that served students whose life circumstances had interrupted their educational journeys.  Her guiding mission was “to offer Carter students second chances to reestablish educational pathways, experience habits of success, and practice behaviors that support growth.” She later retired as principal of HISD’s Community Services School, a program that provides instruction for students in grades K–12 who are confined to their homes, partner hospitals, or agency sites and unable to attend traditional school settings.

At her core, Rhonda was devoted to her family.  She was the beloved mother to Ronald, and the proud grandmother of Cameron, Corinne, and Clara.  In every role—mother, grandmother, sister, daughter, friend—she was unfailingly kind, compassionate, loyal, and generous of spirit.  She was an understated force: soft-spoken yet wise, deeply supportive without seeking recognition, and ever content to stand in the background while helping others shine.  Her selflessness and love were constant gifts to those around her.  She held a quiet but enduring faith in God, which brought her comfort throughout life’s joys and challenges.

Rhonda was preceded in death by her brothers Roy Bernard Rochon and David Rochon.  She is survived by her son Ronald Cotton and daughter-in-law Amber (Callis) Cotton; her grandchildren Cameron, Corinne, and Clara Cotton; her brother Robert Rochon; her sister Annette Rochon-Portlock; sisters-in-law Carol (Joyce) Rochon and Jill (Baker) Rochon; brother-in-law Ray Portlock; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, cherished friends, professional colleagues, and former students.

The family wishes to extend heartfelt thanks to Baylor College of Medicine's Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Disorders Center and The Tradition–Buffalo Speedway for their exceptional and compassionate care.