Lannie Coats

Lannie Joe Coats was born on March 21, 1949, to Raymond Lloyd Coats and Clatie Hill Coats and was raised in Jacksonville, Texas and passed away August 11, 2025 in Jacksonville, Texas. He had two sisters Nada Ann Coats and Mary Daugherty who he always affectionately called his "Seesters" and two brothers Bill Coats and Tim Coats. He loved to tell stories about their growing up years. He graduated from Jacksonville High School in 1967 and soon thereafter met the "love of his life" Suzanne Johnston, they were married in August 1968, had two children Lanna and Steven. They were blessed to have over 52 years together filled with love and laughter before her passing in 2021. After her death, he could often be found at the Concord Cemetery because he just couldn't bear to be apart from his "Sudie baby"

Steven was Lannie Joe's best buddy and if you saw one, you'd see the other right beside him. They always said they were each other’s "best friends" and would Steven would often say, "Wonder where that road goes Dad" and he'd say, "I don't know let's find out!". They knew every backroad in East Texas. Lanna aka "Sister baby" had his sense of humor and they'd often be the only ones laughing at or the only ones who "got" their own jokes. Lanna and her husband David gave Lannie his two greatest treasures... his granddaughters Krista and Ashley. He loved being "Papa Joe" to his two girls and was always bragging about them to everyone he met. He also loved, David aka "his favorite son-in-law" (his only son-in-law), like another son and always talked about what a good man he was to everyone he met especially at the end of his life went David went above and beyond for the ones he loved.

Lannie Joe worked hard from the day he was born. First picking peanuts with his family as a boy, milking cows as a teenager, working his way up from a welder to a Job Planner and VP at United Machine Shop in Kilgore, Texas. He worked at United Machine Shop for over 50 years making friendships that lasted a lifetime. He retired, but then Suzanne and their son Steven both became ill, he took on the role as caregiver. He was thankful though that the nursing "job" didn't require him to wear a nursing uniform because "he didn't have the legs for it!" He would often try to say he didn't know what he was doing and he wasn't doing enough for them, but in a handwritten note Lanna found looking thru pictures for her dad's service she found an obit her mom had written for Lannie Joe wrote as she was in hospice in which she expressed her love and gratitude for what he did for them... "When he thought he could retire and have a little rest, his family needed him and he stepped up to the plate".

As most of know who knew Lannie Joe knew he loved many things in life including his family, his cows, his 60/70s music, anything "Techie", John Wayne, the Dallas Cowboys (depending on the year) and joking around. If he wasn't teasing you, he didn't like you and he had a nickname for just about everybody including his cows, pets and inanimate objects like his Tractor.

There are so many Lannie Joe tales it's hard to pick just a few.... He was a "character" all his life. He's been chased up trees by both crazy cows and coach whip snakes, inevitably got sick on every vacation and never met a Dr. Pepper he didn't like. He always loved going on his daughter's band trips with Lanna and always had some "adventure" on the trips. He'd love to go "mudding" with his lil buddy bubba and they always managed to "find something to get into" as Suzie would say.

Lanna and Steven will always remember their dad for the type of dad everyone would love to have, fun, kind, understanding, and the very definition of dependable. We knew he'd be there beside us if we needed him 24/7 no questions asked. Krista and Ashley were blessed to have such a loving Papa who loved them beyond measure and the only solace to his passing is that he is at last reunited with his "Sudie baby".

Krista will always remember Papa Joe's taking her for rides on his Side-by-side and tractor and just laughing until her face hurt. She was his little "go buddy". Ashley "Ash" will remember Papa Joe being her biggest art fan and had her art in his office, at home, in his truck, basically anywhere he could have it, he'd have it and especially their trips to Kilgore to see the Oil Derricks and burgers afterward.

He leaves behind his son Steven, daughter Lanna, son-in-law David, Granddaughters Krista and Ashley Tapp, Sister Nada Coats, Sister Mary Daugherty, Sister-in-Law Carolyn Coats. He was preceded in death by his

parents, his wife Suzanne, his brothers Bill Coats and Tim Coats. He also leaves behind many nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews that he loved dearly and Family and Friends such as Paula and Harold Hawkins Tim and Sandy Mager and his buddy Carlton Truelock.

The family would like to thank Legacy Nursing Home and Kindful Hospice, who were a true God sends at the end of his life

The visitation will be held from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday, August 16, 2025 at Cottle Funeral Home. The Funeral Service will be held at 11 a.m. at Cottle Funeral Home Chapel. He had so many friends family decided to have just Honorary pallbearers will be Harold Hawkins, Carlton Truelock, Tim Mager, Butch Copeland, Kevin Copeland, Paul Anderson, Brad Mager, Phillip Hawkins, his nephews Michael Jackson, Eric Coats, Craig Daugherty, Brian Coats, Stacy Coats and son-in-law David Tapp. Pastor David Kurtz will lead the Service and Alesha Norman will sing some of Lannie's Favorite Hymns.

Under directions of Cottle Funeral Home, Troup, Texas.

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