The Cottee family of Kiama provided laundry services to the Kiama community for more than 25 years at their Terralong Street premises.

David and Shirley Cottee's early life revolved around the streets of Nimbin in 1930, where the Cottee and Summers families lived.

"The young David Masson Cottee climbed up on the side of the pram and peered down at the five-six-month-old baby Elaine Shirley Summers," their daughter Sue Bock, the eldest of five children said. "They kept contact right up until 21 years later when they were married in South Grafton."

David Cottee worked for the Bank of NSW and was transferred to a new town every few years. He was eventually transferred to Kiama as manager of the local Bank of NSW (now Westpac) in 1977.

When he retired in 1985, he developed the three shops at 140 Terralong Street, and created the 140 Terralong Street Laundrette as a retirement position for Shirley and himself.

Mrs Cottee was also Girl Guide leader and district commissioner for Kiama guides.

The 140 Terralong Street Laundrette later became Cottee's Laundrette.

Even when Mr Cottee lost much of his sight soon after opening the laundrette he still enjoyed working there, chatting to residents and visitors from throughout the world.

Mrs Bock said her father loved to "travel by staying at home. He would tell his family at the end of a working day, 'today I met a pilot from Alaska - he was an Alaskan flying Tiger', or 'today I met a rancher from mid-west America. He had just delivered one of his bison to a farm in Victoria'."

Mrs Bock said when Mr Cottee died in 2009, Mrs Cottee's family begged her to retire and spend more time with her 19 grandchildren, whose photographs lined the walls of the laundrette.

"But she said, 'no, I enjoy talking to my customers - I'm not ready to retire yet'. She loved to tell her customers stories from her long life as mother, grandmother, Girl Guide leader, she was a talented storyteller. But she also liked to listen."

Mrs Cottee died last August, aged 84, only about 18 months after she stopped working at the laundrette.

Angela Burton has purchased Cottee's Laundrette, now known as Kiama Laundry Services.

"To honour Mrs Cottee there is a new Cottee's Corner at the front of the shop with a framed portrait, and one of the original perspex signs framed by Chris Evans has pride of place," she said.