William Thomas Coleman, Jr., "Billy", passed away August 12, 2022 at the age of 92, at his home in Sun City West, Arizona. He was born in Lynchburg, Va., June 3, 1930 to parents Anna Robeson and William Thomas Coleman, Sr. When his dad became ill with multiple sclerosis, they moved to an old farmhouse in Appomattox, Va. – the only treatment back then was fresh air. He and his younger sister Dorothea grew up and attended high school there. He studied at Lynchburg College, then Virginia Tech (VPI), where he earned a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering. He became the Town of Bedford's first engineer and worked on the Smith Mountain Dam construction project. In 1952 he married Gloria Naomi Lantz. Sixteen years and three wonderful daughters later, Bill and Gloria divorced and went their separate ways. First and foremost, Bill continued to support his Family. Along the way, Bill met his soulmate, Juanita Tiffany, and they were married in Hawaii in 1969.
Pursuing his dream of living overseas, he accepted jobs in Thailand, Guam, American Samoa, Saudi Arabia, and Hawaii, finally settling in Arizona after retirement.
As a civil engineer, he had some decidedly strange jobs, like repairing leaks in the huge underground tanks at Pearl Harbor or building a sewer system on the remote tropical island of Pago Pago. Bill loved traveling, singing, scuba diving, running marathons, cycling, and gathering with family and friends. He was a quiet soul, with a twinkle in his eye, a quirky sense of humor, and a gorgeous tenor singing voice. While he wasn't the slightest bit pushy or aggressive, when he wanted to do something, it happened. He was quite the adventurer; he and Juanita saw some fantastic places while traveling around the world including a road trip to Alaska in their RV and bicycling from Virginia to Oregon.
With the onset of COVID, the family met weekly on Zoom. We would talk and laugh, tell stories, and even sing. One evening, with very little prompting, Billy sang "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head." Bill always finished our call with his signature line – "Love you still and always will!" -- delivered with a smile and a wave.
He is survived by his wife, Juanita, three daughters (Catherine Eckel, Meredyth Nelson, and Paula Senn), six grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.
A celebration of life will be held in Richmond, VA later this fall. For more information, please contact the family at annameredyth55@gmail.com.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: The Sun City West Posse, 20450 Stardust Blvd., Sun City West, Arizona 85375; https://scwposse.org/donate.
