Mark R. Coleman's Obituary
Mark Rogers Coleman, Jr., 77, went to be with the Lord the evening of November 16, 2013 after a lengthy illness and brief stay at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.He was born March 2, 1936 in Braddock, Pennsylvania to Hazel Hale Coleman and Mark Rogers Coleman and moved to Memphis as an infant.Mark was an alumnus of Memphis Central High School and Southwestern at Memphis, now Rhodes College, where he played baseball before briefly playing professionally. He was an avid baseball fan especially of his beloved New York Yankees.He was proud of his service in the US Army 844th Engineer Battalion which was called into active duty from October 1961 to August 1962 during the Berlin Crisis.After a 40-year career as an account executive for prominent Memphis commercial printer, S. C. Toof & Co., he founded IHS & Associates, a graphic communications firm. Mark was known by his colleagues and clients to be a man of honesty and integrity. His business associates knew that he was also their friend.Mark was brought up in the Presbyterian church. For the last three decades he was a member of Second Presbyterian Church where he was an Elder Emeritus. He also served as chairman of the church’s Home and World Missions Committee, president of the Jeb Russell Sunday School Class and a member of the Board of the Christian Psychological Center. Among other projects, he helped launch the church’s Senior Adult Ministries program.Next to Mark’s love for the Lord and his church was his love for his family. He leaves behind his beloved high school sweetheart and wife of 57 years, Claire Tansey Coleman. He was a devoted father to Mark Rogers Coleman, III and John Robert Coleman whose wife Deborah Blinn Coleman was very much a daughter to him. He leaves grandchildren Mark Rogers Coleman, IV and Katherine Elizabeth Coleman, whom he raised and loved as his own children; as well as adored granddaughters Caroline Claire Coleman and Carter Camille Coleman, and great-grandchildren Christopher and Lyra. He also leaves behind beloved sisters-in-law Flora Tansey, Marian Smith and Barbara Ferrari and brothers-in-law James Tansey and Ron Ferrari.The family would like to thank the physicians and other health care professionals who cared for Mark so lovingly, including Suzanne Burgar, Dr. Ed Garrett, Jr., Dr. Thomas Hughes, Dr. Bob Kelley, Dr. Alfred Kraus, Dr. John Norwood and the staff at DaVita Dialysis East.The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorials be sent to the Second Presbyterian Church World Missions Fund or the Salvation Army.The family will receive friends on Wednesday, November 20 at 10:00 a.m. followed by a memorial service at 11:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary of Second Presbyterian Church, 4055 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN 38111.Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery, 5668 Poplar Ave. Memphis, TN 38119, (901)767-8930, “Behind the Stone Wall”.
What’s your fondest memory of Mark?
What’s a lesson you learned from Mark?
Share a story where Mark's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Mark you’ll never forget.
How did Mark make you smile?