David Botsford was not just the life of the party. He was more like the defibrillator. When things got dull, his friends said, Botsford would ask a probing question or, if you were lucky, break into a rousing rendition of “This Guy’s in Love with You,” coupled with a “wild” and “indescribable” dance.
“He had this tremendous wit and never allowed us to take ourselves too seriously,” said his sister, Elizabeth Nolan. “His humor would show up when we least expected it but when we needed it the most.”
That creativity and infectious personality bled into his work life, winning him a CLIO award, which honors achievement in the advertising, design, interactive and communications fields, early in his career. He later built advertising campaigns for such companies as Church’s Chicken and Chiquita.
Botsford, a well-known Atlanta promotions executive, died Nov. 18 in Atlanta after a six-month battle with a rare form of cancer. He was 57.
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Dec. 1 at Central Presbyterian Church at 201 Washington St. SW in Atlanta. SouthCare Cremations and Funeral Society in Alpharetta is in charge of arrangements.
Botsford was stricken with a cancer of unknown primary origin (CUP), which took form in a series of strokes. CUP is difficult to diagnose and strikes between only 2 percent to 5 percent of cancer patients.
“David suffered a good bit during the last month to six weeks of his life,” said Nolan, who lives in Dallas. “Though we certainly wanted the suffering to be over, it’s been a huge shock and loss for his family because he was so young and otherwise healthy, a vibrant part of his community and family. David was still in awe of the world and had a lot of life left in him.”
Botsford grew up in Opelika, Ala., attended nearby Auburn University and then went on to the University of Georgia where he received a degree in journalism with a specialty in marketing in 1977.
Throughout a 30-year advertising career, he held senior-level positions with Fitzgerald & Co., J. Walter Thompson (now known as JWT) and McDonald and Little before starting his own own company, Botsford Group.
“He was able to take his basic creative nature and turn it into a business product that moved the needle on sales,” said Hala Moddelmog, president of Arby’s Restaurant Group, who developed a professional and personal relationship with Botsford. “I always assumed that he was very happy in his work because he was using his natural skills.”
In addition to Nolan, Botsford is survived by his son Paul Botsford, of Atlanta; his mother Betty Botsford, of Opelika; sisters Lea Perez, of Atlanta; and Leslie Melton, of Auburn; and brother Thom Botsford, of Pensacola, Fla.
About the Author
