Our beloved husband, brother, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, John Raymond Coleman passed away at the age of 82 on June 23, 2022.
John was born January 9, 1940, in the Boone County Hospital to Eva May (Mickle) and Alonzo Barkley Coleman. He was the oldest of five children. John attended elementary school in Frazier, Iowa, moving to Boone, Iowa, during the flood of 1954. John then attended Boone High School where he played the tuba in both band and orchestra. He also played the accordion in a band where his sister, Carol, joined him on her accordion. John and Carol performed together in many hotels in Des Moines and had the opportunity to perform in the Bill Riley Talent Show at the Iowa State Fair.
At Boone High School, John met Lelia. Upon seeing her in a play he decided she was the one for him. After much persistence on his part, they became high school sweethearts. John and Lelia were married on June 24, 1961 and were happily married for 61 years.
John graduated from Des Moines Area Community College in Boone and joined the Army National Guard. While in the guard he was chosen to be trained as a helicopter pilot. He was unable to attend the training due to a conflict. The helicopter he would have been traveling on to the training crashed and everyone on board died.
John was employed by the Department of Transportation in both Ames and Des Moines before moving his family to Sioux City, Iowa, where he accepted a job at Iowa Beef Processors (IBP). There he was the Chief Information Officer. When he retired from IBP, he returned to Boone, Iowa, where it all began. Here he was able to spend time with his children and grandchildren, which was one of his greatest pleasures. His most difficult trial was losing his oldest son Matthew to a rare neurological disorder, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), in 2019.
John was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where he faithfully served in many church positions culminating with service as patriarch in both the Sioux City, Iowa and Ames, Iowa Stakes. He also served a mission in the Winter Quarters Temple in Omaha, Nebraska, with his sweetheart, Lelia.
John is survived by his sister, Carol Steininger; brother, David (Vicky) Coleman; brother-in-law, Mike Brush; wife, Lelia (Liden) Coleman; children, Lisa (Keith) Davis, Leah (Marcy Anderson) Coleman, Joseph (Katrina) Coleman; daughter-in-law, Greta Coleman; 17 grandchildren, and
3 great-grandchildren plus one due any day, and many others he considers family.
Preceded in death by his parents, Eva and Alonzo Coleman; brother-in-law, George Steininger; his sister and brother-in-law, Linda (Ronnie) Coy; sister, Diana Brush; his son, Matthew; and his granddaughter, Adelaide Mary-Helen.
The family would like to thank Suncrest Hospice and Eastern Star for their care of John in his final days.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, July 16, 2022, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2524 Hoover Avenue, Ames, Iowa, at 11:00 am with a luncheon following.
Here is the link for livestream, where you can go and watch the funeral service. https://youtu.be/Kzks1Myn5LE