Willard Watson Coker
<p>Willard Watson Coker, Florence</p> <p>Willard Watson Coker, 96, died January 25, 2021, at North Alabama Medical Center.</p> <p>Will was born December 18, 1924, to Ellis and Willie Lou Coker. He attended Deshler High School until the age of 17 when he joined the Army to fight in World War II.</p> <p>He served as an artillery director in the European Theatre with the Red Bull Brigade. This group was instrumental in defeating Mussolini in Italy and the Nazis trying to control the country. Will was captured and escaped twice by stealing a German uniform and knowing enough German to sneak by the guards.</p> <p>When the war ended, Will returned to Tuscumbia and finished high school at Deshler. He then attended Radio Broadcasting School in Port Arthur, Texas, where he met and married Jacqueline Gardenhire. They had four children.</p> <p>After living in several states, Will returned to the Shoals area where he reunited with his high school sweetheart, Katie Lee Inman. They were married 49 years.</p> <p>Will worked as a news broadcaster for WOWL TV where he was known for “It’s 10 o’clock; do you know where your children are?”</p> <p>Later Will began working for Certified Alarm in Sheffield when they were a startup company. As sales manager, he helped grow the company for 35 years.</p> <p>Will was a Lifetime Member of the Florence Elks Lodge where he served as Esquire, Tiler, Leading Knight, Board of Trustees member and was elected twice as Exalted Ruler. He also served as District Deputy to the national Grand Lodge Exalted Ruler and was the Alabama State Association Chaplain. In addition to his leadership duties, Will could be found at the Lodge on most Friday nights calling Bingo to a packed house. Between number callouts, he entertained the crowd with stories and the latest local gossip. On occasion he could be found in the Lodge kitchen on a Saturday afternoon cooking up his famous Gumbo.</p> <p>Will is preceded in death by his parents Ellis and Willie Lou Coker, brother Berman Coker, son Charles (Charlie) Harold Coker, grandson Justin Loggins, and stepdaughter Shelaine Donaldson Johnston.</p> <p>He is survived by his wife Katie, children Lisa Thigpen (Billy), David Ellis Coker, Timothy Scott Coker, and stepdaughter Karen Donaldson Gruber (Marvin). Also surviving are grandchildren Ashley Loggins Lawrence (Trey) and children Jack and Lillie Bee, Blair Loggins Sehrt (James) and daughter Corinne, Elizabeth Loggins and stepgrandchildren Jarrod Lindley and Katie Gruber VanDervort (Nate).</p> <p>Will made a lot of friends in his life with his friendly smile and demeanor and he never met a stranger. He was known for his storytelling and his amazing recall for detail every time he told the same story. He will be missed by all who knew him.</p> <p>Services are postponed to a later date to be announced due to Covid lockdown.</p>Obituary
Willard Watson Coker, Florence
Willard Watson Coker, 96, died January 25, 2021, at North Alabama Medical Center.
Will was born December 18, 1924, to Ellis and Willie Lou Coker. He attended Deshler High School until the age of 17 when he joined the Army to fight in World War II.
He served as an artillery director in the European Theatre with the Red Bull Brigade. This group was instrumental in defeating Mussolini in Italy and the Nazis trying to control the country. Will was captured and escaped twice by stealing a German uniform and knowing enough German to sneak by the guards.
When the war ended, Will returned to Tuscumbia and finished high school at Deshler. He then attended Radio Broadcasting School in Port Arthur, Texas, where he met and married Jacqueline Gardenhire. They had four children.
After living in several states, Will returned to the Shoals area where he reunited with his high school sweetheart, Katie Lee Inman. They were married 49 years.
Will worked as a news broadcaster for WOWL TV where he was known for “It’s 10 o’clock; do you know where your children are?”
Later Will began working for Certified Alarm in Sheffield when they were a startup company. As sales manager, he helped grow the company for 35 years.
Will was a Lifetime Member of the Florence Elks Lodge where he served as Esquire, Tiler, Leading Knight, Board of Trustees member and was elected twice as Exalted Ruler. He also served as District Deputy to the national Grand Lodge Exalted Ruler and was the Alabama State Association Chaplain. In addition to his leadership duties, Will could be found at the Lodge on most Friday nights calling Bingo to a packed house. Between number callouts, he entertained the crowd with stories and the latest local gossip. On occasion he could be found in the Lodge kitchen on a Saturday afternoon cooking up his famous Gumbo.
Will is preceded in death by his parents Ellis and Willie Lou Coker, brother Berman Coker, son Charles (Charlie) Harold Coker, grandson Justin Loggins, and stepdaughter Shelaine Donaldson Johnston.
He is survived by his wife Katie, children Lisa Thigpen (Billy), David Ellis Coker, Timothy Scott Coker, and stepdaughter Karen Donaldson Gruber (Marvin). Also surviving are grandchildren Ashley Loggins Lawrence (Trey) and children Jack and Lillie Bee, Blair Loggins Sehrt (James) and daughter Corinne, Elizabeth Loggins and stepgrandchildren Jarrod Lindley and Katie Gruber VanDervort (Nate).
Will made a lot of friends in his life with his friendly smile and demeanor and he never met a stranger. He was known for his storytelling and his amazing recall for detail every time he told the same story. He will be missed by all who knew him.
Services are postponed to a later date to be announced due to Covid lockdown.
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