John R. Coates, Jr., age 96, of Ellicott City, passed on Saturday, March 6,
2021, at Howard County General Hospital.
Born January 4, 1925, in Virginia he was the son of the late John Richard
Coates, Sr. and Louise Thompson Coates. He was the loving husband of
Mildred Ripley Coates, his wife of 75 years.
John served in the US Army during World War II. He was a graduate of
Virginia Tech with a degree in Industrial Engineering. John worked as an
engineer for the former Westinghouse Corporation for many years.
He
had a variety of hobbies which included football, baseball and furniture
making. He enjoyed getting together for reunions and conversations with
members of his Army regiment and serving with the Greatest Generation.
Surviving in addition to his wife are nieces Marcia Saumweber, Carol
Coates, Monica Saumweber, and Mary Alexandra Spyker; nephews Jeff
and Christopher Coates, and many neighbors and friends.
He was predeceased by their son John "Ricky" Coates, III, sister Virginia
Anne Coates Saumweber Griswold, brothers Harold, William and James
Coates.
Due to current pandemic restrictions the family will have a limited
visitation on Wednesday, March 10, 2021, at Haight Funeral Home &
Chapel, 6416 Sykesville Road, Sykesville, 2-4 or 6-8 pm.
Anyone wishing
to attend is asked to contact the funeral home.
Interment will be in
Trinity UMC Cemetery, 13463 W. James Anderson Highway, Buckingham,
VA on Friday, March 12, 2021 at 11am.
In lieu of FLOWERS, memorial donations may be made to the Best Defense
Foundation, 249 Highway 101, Suite 312, Solana Beach, CA 92075 or to
The Greatest Generations 501 South Cherry Street, 11th Floor, Denver,
CO 80246.View
memorial video |
John registered for the draft in Richmond, VA on 4
January 1943 and was inducted into the Army in that same city on 6
February 1943..
He volunteered for parachutist duty and said that his
7th jump was at Fort. Bragg in December 1943 from a glider. It was a
highly experimental test and the only time he did it.
Pvt Coates was transferred from 82d Airborne Division
Hq, Leicester, England to the Medical Detachment, 508th FIR on 26 July
1944.
He was appointed to Pfc on 18 December 1944, the same
day the regiment was hastily mobilized to the front for the Battle of
the Bulge but the notice of his promotion did not appear in the morning
report until 15 January 194 so he may have not known until that point in
time.
Pfc Coates was wounded in action in Germany on 10
February 1945 and evacuated with penetrating wounds to the abdomen,
abdominal wall and pelvis as well as his back when he was struck
with artillery shell fragments. e returned to duty on 18 May 1945.
On 9 June 1946 John married Mildred Anne Ripley in
Richmond, VA |
