Barbara Coates

July 23, 1941 — February 20, 2024

Barbara D. Coates of Johnson City, TN died of cancer on February 20, 2024 at age 82. She was surrounded by family and love as she passed.

She was born in Oklahoma on July 23, 1941 and grew up in Pryor, OK, where her father practiced medicine. She graduated from Pryor High School, where her mother taught English. She obtained a B.A. in English from Northwestern University, where she met her future husband, James “Jim” Coates. They married in 1963, eventually settling in Dallas, TX.

After her children started school, she began a career in commercial insurance. Following the death of her husband in 2016, she relocated to Johnson City, TN to be closer to her son and his family. She was a wonderful wife, a devoted mother and grandmother, a kind and generous neighbor and friend, and a true cat lover. She enjoyed tennis, walking and hiking.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Jim Coates. She is survived by her son Allen, his wife Nicole and their son Sydney, of Johnson City, TN; and by her daughter Roslyn, of Jemez Springs, NM. Following Barbara's wishes, the family will hold an informal memorial at Roan Mountain in June.

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