Gale Edwin Coak

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Gale Edwin Coak, 84, former resident of Schell City, died Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009, at his home in Columbia under hospice care.

Gale was born on May 16, 1925, in Fort Wayne, Ind., the second son of Letis and Esther Endsley Coak, and was later joined by three brothers and three sisters.

He served in the U.S. Navy in World War II from December 1943 until April 1946. After his discharge from the service he returned to Indiana where he married Patsy Ruth Miller on Aug. 4, 1980. They were parents of eight children, six of whom survive. Patsy died on April 24, 1980.

He farmed on the Edgar Morrison place near Swayze, Ind., until 1956, when, due to the health of his wife, the family moved to Arizona. Gale became a union painter in Arizona, a job he held for 26 years. Later he owned and operated restaurants in Fort Wayne, Ind., Camp Verde, Ariz., and Schell City, Mo. He moved to Schell City in 1987 and later lived in Trenton for a short time before moving to Columbia.

Gale is survived by four sons, Carl Robert and wife Sheryl, of Cottonwood, Ariz, William Bradley and his wife Leda, of Peoria, Ariz., Bryant Edwin and his wife Deborah of Glendale, Ariz, and Jerry Lee and his wife Robin, of Phoenix, Ariz.; two daughters, Charlotte Edene Hall, of Osceola, Mo, and Terry Lynn and her husband Billy Begley, of Harwood, Mo; 17 grandchildren; 30 great-grandchildren; one sister, Phyllis and her husband Edward DeLuceney, of New Haven, Ind.; one brother, Ronald Coak and his wife Marsha, of Fort Wayne, Ind.; several nieces and nephews; special friends, Bill Bailey, of Schell City, and Sharon Morrison Green, of Swayze, Ind.; and his loving companion, Anna Martin, of the home in Columbia.

In addition of his wife Patsy, he was preceded in death by an infant son, Gale Duane; a daughter, Carole Elaine Maxwell; three brothers, Charles, Bernard, and Duane (Toots); and two sisters, Leatrice Ringer, and Ronita DeVaux.

Funeral services for Gale Edwin Coak were held at 1 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 7, at the SchelL City United Methodist Church, with the Rev. Connie Locke officiating. Musical selections were provided by Sharon Goodman and David Souza. Pallbearers were: Bradley McFarlin Sr., Bradley McFarlin Jr., Ehren Coak, Kyle Begley, Billy Begley, Chad Hall, and Steve Smith. Honorary pallbearers were: Bill Bailey, Orval Moore, Randy Harms, and Junior Blakely.

Interment with military honors followed in the Green Lawn Cemetery in Schell City. Memorials are suggested to Vernon County People for Pets, Hospice Compassus of Columbia, Mo., or The charity of the donor's choice in care of the Lewis-Hoagland Funeral Home, in Schell City. Arrangements were under the direction of Lewis Hoagland Funeral Home.