Mr. Edwin Joseph Coons Jr.

Edwin Joseph Coons Jr., CLU, ChFC, 83, of Woodstock, Georgia, and formerly of Atlanta, passed away after a series of strokes and from other natural causes on Monday, Jan, 4, 2016. He was born on April 20, 1932, to Edwin Joseph and Gertrude R. Coons, in Houma, Louisiana. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his first wife, Rosemary H. Coons, the mother of his eight children; and a son, Michael Alfred Coons. As the son of a sugar cane farm manager, in childhood he lived with his parents and his sister Marion in several places, including Southdown Plantation, now a state historic site, and Puerto Rico. After graduating with a business degree from Louisiana State University (where he was once a classmate an friend of future NBA Hall of Famer Bob Pettit) he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. He achieved the rank of lieutenant and served at Hahn Air Base, Germany. Of his USAF career, he sometimes liked to quip that he “flew a desk.” Upon completing military service, he began a career in the insurance industry, gaining much of his training in Atlanta, where he was to meet Rosemary Hartrampf, his future wife of 42 years. He thrived in his role providing life insurance and other financial services through National Life of Vermont and National Financial Services Group for over 60 years, and was a Life Time member of the Million Dollar Round Table, among other professional accomplishments. He loved his career, mostly because it provided vast opportunities to tell stories and try out one-liners, some of which were actually funny. Finishing a brief stint in insurance in Auburn, Alabama, he, Rosemary and a growing family moved to Atlanta, where he spent the majority of his career. There, they belonged to Christ the King Catholic Church, and were actively involved in the church and school community. When the family moved to Woodstock, they belonged to St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, in Alpharetta, Georgia, where Mr. Coons served as a lector as well as an enthusiastic member of the church family. He was a fan of the Atlanta Braves and the city’s other pro sports teams, the “Britcoms” on PBS, going to movies, and the natural setting and beautiful scenery of his home and land in Woodstock. For a time, he was an enthusiastic student of the Civil War, following the story of an 8th Louisiana Infantry ancestor. Though a man of many accomplishments, some feel his proudest legacy was his children, for whom he always tried to set a worthy example. He is survived by seven children: Ann Gertrude (Dr. Harry) Wingate of Athens, Ga.; Edwin Joseph (Kim) Coons III of Ringgold, Ga.; Mary Catherine (Paul) Barkley of Marietta, Ga.; William Julius (Amanda) Coons, of Acworth, Ga.; Rita Helene (Don) Edwards of Marietta; Daniel Christopher (Laura) Coons of McDonough, Ga.; and Emilie Pauline (Larry) Cook of Gainesville, Ga. He is also survived by 26 beloved grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; a sister, Marion Riley, of Baton Rouge, La.; a brother-in-law, William (Virginia) Hartrampf; several nieces and nephews; and a host of friends, colleagues and church family. He is survived, as well, by Ellen Reuland Coons, his second wife, to whom he was married seven years. Funeral services are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Friday Jan. 8, 2016, at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, Alpharetta, with Rev. Monsignor Richard Lopez officiating. His family will receive friends from 10 a.m. until the 10:30 service time. A brief church reception will follow the service, followed by interment at historic Westview Cemetery in Atlanta. In lieu of flowers please make donations to St. Jude's Children's Hospital www.stjudechild.org/ or a charity of your choice.

Mr. Edwin Joseph Coons Jr.

April 20, 1932 - January 4, 2016