Albert Coleman

Albert Coleman

1924-2016

Albert Morris (Tootie) Coleman was born on Aug. 10, 1924, in Charleston, Miss., to Edward Hawes and Lela Belle (Thompson) Coleman and passed April 18, 2016, in Allen.

He was raised in Kerrville and graduated from Tivy High School in 1942. He served our country in World War II as a member of the U.S Coast Guard. After the war he studied at Schreiner Preparatory in Kerrville and then at the University of Texas in Austin, with a major in business.

In 1946 he met and married his wife, Margie, and the following year their daughter Beverly was born.

He received his BBA in 1949 from UT. He spent the next 33 years working for Sears in management which allowed him and his family to make lifelong friends in Amarillo, Omaha, Nebraska and Dallas. While living in Amarillo, daughters Susan, Mary and Cindy were born.

He left Sears in 1980 and after taking a position with Merchants State Bank in Dallas as an executive vice-president, he opened a new bank in Canton where he served as president of The Bank of Van Zandt for the next nine years. He then spent the next several years as a broker and co-owner of Century 21 Star Texas Properties.

Al had a passion for community service. 

As a young adult in Amarillo, he served with the Kiwanis and Jaycees. As a lifelong Baptist, he served as deacon in Amarillo and Omaha, Neb. He served two terms as president of the Canton Lion Club (1987/1988, 1992/1993) where he was honored to receive the Melvin Jones Fellowship Award.

He also served on the Van Zandt County Library Board.

He is survived by Marjorie Inez (Pearce) Coleman, his loving wife of almost 70 years. He is also survived by four daughters and their spouses, Beverly Birdwell (Carl), Susan Pyle (Steve), Mary Whitney (Dennis) and Cindy Wren-Gray (Bradley); 15 grandchildren, Elizabeth Birdwell Heffernan (Robert), John Birdwell, Thomas Birdwell (Kelly), Christopher Pyle, (Leisa), Jennifer Pyle Cecil (Blake), Andrew Pyle (Geneva), Benjamin Whitney (Allison), Caitlin Whitney Burnett (Ryan), Emily Whitney Ward (Clifford), Michael Whitney, Hailey Shaw Schiele (Byron), Clara Wren, Madeline Wren, Oxford Gray and Oakley Gray; eleven great-grandchildren, Amelia Cecil, Theodore Whitney, Fiona Whitney, Jack Burnett, Samuel Burnett, Evelyn Burnett, Mae Burnett, Eloise Burnett and Parker Schiele.

Baby Cecil and Baby Ward are due to join the family soon. 

He is preceded in death by his two brothers, Bud (James W.) and Junior (Edward H. Jr.)

Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, May 21, at Restland Funeral Home. Services will take place at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, May 22, at The Wildwood Chapel at Restland Cemetery.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Restland Funeral Home and Memorial Park, 13005 Greenville Ave., Dallas TX.

Donations in Al's memory may be made to one of his favorite charities, Texas Lions Camp in Kerrville.