William Coleman

Bill Coleman was a man who lived his life by a simple slogan: Do someone else a favor someday. Bill did much for so many over the years, as a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend. Bill found happiness in the things he did for others, and taught us to do the same. Do someone else a favor someday, he always said, yet those lucky enough to know Bill knew there was so much more to the man than the motto. Bills story began on a warm spring day in 1926, as the flowers bloomed in the little town of Midway, Tennessee in the Mississippi River bottoms. Those were good days in this country, times of peace and prosperity, during the heyday of the Roaring 20s, and the peak of Prohibition. On April 13, 1926, William and Ruby (Allen) Coleman celebrated the birth of a baby boy, a son they named William Everett Coleman. William was the sixth of 10 children born to the hardworking sharecroppers, who toiled in the cotton fields found along the Mississippi River in west Tennessee, not the easiest way to make a living. As a result, the whole family helped in the fields over the years, Bill included, who picked cotton alongside his siblings in the summertime, under that sweltering hot Tennessee sun. When he wasnt working in the fields, Bill enjoyed a delightfully typical youth, and loved playing baseball on the banks of the Mississippi, or making music for the country dances, too. While the river gave the family much, it also took from them, too. After one of the early spring floods one year, Bills mom contracted Typhoid Fever, and sadly died. Bill was just a little boy, and was essentially raised by his older sister, Mary Lee. Bill attended school through the seventh grade, when he went to work full-time in the fields, as was so common in those days. When he was 20 years old, in 1946, Bill and his good friend Robert Willard had enough of sharecropping, so they threw down their hoes, and hopped a bus bound for Detroit, Michigan, where they went to work for Dodge. After a few years in the Motor City, Robert enlisted in the service, and Bill packed up and moved to the sandy shores of Muskegon, where he found a job at Brunswick. It was a good job, and the last one he would ever have. With his professional life in place, Bills personal life began to bloom, as well. He decided to settle down, and married his longtime sweetheart from Tennessee in 1948, Ethel Lois Phillips. Ethel brought two children into the marriage, William and Dicey Lucille Turnbow, and Bill tried to be a good parent to them. In 1958, Bill and Ethel had a child of their own, with the birth of their beautiful baby girl, Rhonda, who made her father so happy and proud. Bill had a terrible loss in 1964, when his wife Ethel lost a courageous battle with cancer. Suddenly a widower and a single parent to a young daughter, Bill worked very hard to be a good provider and a supportive dad to Rhonda. It wasnt always easy, but he instilled a strong sense of morals and a great work ethic in his daughter. Bills sister Jean also lost her husband during that time, and the siblings supported each other. She lived in Flint, and they made frequent trips across the state to see each other and help each other. Bills social life revolved around his involvement with the Masonic Temple, as he was a longtime, active member everywhere he went. Over the years, Bill was a Past Member of Noachite Lodge #507 F& AM, Life Member of Ravenna Lodge #441 F Life Member of Muskegon Chapter #47 Royal Arch Masons, Muskegon Council #54 R Knights Templar Muskegon Comandery #22. Holder of the Knight York Cross of Honor, Order of the Purple Cross, Holy Royal Arch Knight Templar Priests - Rock of Ages Tabernacle LV, Grand Haven-Spring Lake Chapter No. 132 Order of the Eastern Star, Madison Court No. 18 Order of the Amaranth, Bethesda Shrine No. 21 Order of the White Shrine of Jerusalem, and a 50-year Association member of Charles D. Hammond & Fraternal Order of Police, too. For a man who never finished school, Bill was especially proud of earning the Masonic rank of Worshipful master and Commander, which made him feel he had overcome his lack of formal education as he learned his work and did it with precision. He spent hours memorizing his work and expected similar dedication in others, too. Bill found more than titles and friendship at the Masonic Temple, however. One night in 1974, he met a wonderful woman named Diana Wygant there, and it was love at first sight for him. After many failed attempts, Bill finally convinced her to go with him, and all his perseverance paid off: they were together ever since. They married in 1984, Bill retired from Brunswick following his 35-year career there 1988. Diana brought her son Adam to the family, and Bill introduced him to the Masonic Temple. Over the next 24 years, Bill and Diana crisscrossed the state going to Masonic events, and took their annual trips to Tennessee, too, where they spent time with Bills family. Bill and Diana also loved spending time with their grandkids, who always brightened their days. Bill was never bored, and loved puttering around the house, fixing anything and everything. He was a gifted handyman, who fixed everything from cars to TVs, and especially enjoyed helping the people around him. Whether it was some repairs they needed, or their driveway plowed in the wintertime, Bill was always happy to help. Just do someone else a favor someday, is all hed say, forever the generous, graceful man he was. Sadly, Bill died at home on Sunday, September 21, 2008, at the age of 82. Bill was a wonderful man, who lived a wonderful life, a life full of hard work, dedication and devotion to the people around him. Bill was a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend, and a man so quick to lend a helping hand. Do someone else a favor someday, is all he would ever say, yet our debt to Bill would take forever to repay. He will be greatly missed. Bill is survived by his wife, Diana L.; 1 daughter, Rhonda D. Miller of Muskegon; Step children, Adam (Holli) Wygant of Jackson, MI, William Richard (Barbara) Turnbow of Muskegon & Dicey Lucille Holmes of Muskegon; grandchildren, Christopher, Megan & Derek Miller & Kelsi Wygant; sisters, Sadie Eugene Sembler of Flint & Pauline Carper of Atlanta, GA; many nieces & nephews. He was preceded in death by his brothers, Robert Hulon & Emitt Clark Coleman; sisters, Mamie Ross, Mary Lee Phillips & Madie Coleman. Services are scheduled for Wednesday, September 24, 2008, 11:00 AM at McGraft Memorial Congregational Church with Dr. Gerald Wahr officiating. Interment at Sunrise Memorial Gardens. Visitation is Tuesday, 6-9PM at Clock Life Story Funeral Home - Muskegon with a Masonic service at 8:00 PM. Memorial donations may be made to the Muskegon Masonic Temple Endowment Fund c/o Community Foundation for Muskegon County. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com to share a memory or sign the online guest book.