William (Bill) Calvin Coates, Jr. passed away on the evening of August 27, 2016, while being tended to by the medical staff at American Fork Hospital in American Fork, Utah. He was 71 years old.
Bill is survived by his precious wife of 51 years, Leona Faye (Fisher) Coates, son Derek Coates and his wife Krista, son Dana Coates and his wife Jeanette, son Christopher Coates and his wife Marissa, brother Donald Coates and his wife Diane, brother Jerrie Coates and his wife Robin, sister Janice Rodriguez, his five grandchildren Alyssa, Alex, Addisyn, Madden and Kylie and many close friends and extended relatives.
Bill, the son of William and Melba (Yarborough) Coates, was born on August 3, 1945 in Roxboro, North Carolina. He was named after his father and grandfather. Bill lived in North Carolina, Florida, California and Utah throughout the course of his life.
In his early years, Bill spent time on the family farms in North Carolina picking some common crops of the area, including tobacco. At the age of 12 years old, Bill and his family moved to Daytona Beach, Florida. His teenage years were spent working hard for the financial support of his family. Bill attended Mainland High School in Daytona Beach where he participated in glee club. It was there he met the love of his life, and future wife, Leona Faye Fisher. Bill and Faye were later married on September 11, 1965.
Bill spent 8 years in the Army reserves, where he was nearly drafted for active duty in the Vietnam War. His working career began in the banking industry. He then transitioned into his lifelong, and very successful, sales career. Bill won many awards and accolades over the four decades he committed to his craft.
Bill had a passion for dancing early in his teenage years that lasted throughout his life. As a true American patriot, he also had a great love for history and the Founding Fathers. His greatest joy later in life was spending quality time with friends and family, especially his five precious grandchildren. Bill was a genuine, gracious and optimistic man who garnered the love and respect from countless others whose paths he crossed.
The funeral service for Bill Coates was held at the Larkin Sunset Gardens in Sandy, UT on September 3, 2016.
