John Roy Coley

John Roy Coley was born on September 11, 1929 in Haynesville, Louisiana, the youngest child of Joe Coley and Nora Dunham Coley. His father, who was in oil rig construction, led the family from town to town across Southeast Texas as they followed the oil boom of the late 1920s. At the age of 7, Johns parents divorced, leaving him to be raised by his mother and many times, his older siblings. As America went to war, thousands of young men were called away to serve, leaving many jobs here at home vacant. At the age of 14, John took a job working on the Texas- Mexico Railroad which ran from Corpus Christi, TX to Monterey, Mexico. An older train engineer took John under his wing, teaching him mechanical skills and on occasion allowing him to be a conductor. One important trait that was instilled in John at his young age was a love of his country and a desire to serve that country. As WW2 entered its final year, like so many young men of this generation, he convinced his mother to sign enlistment papers attesting that he was of legal age, though he was actually only fifteen. John began his service in the United States Navy, where he served proudly in the Pacific theatre. It became a defining time in his life. Officially, he served with the rank of seaman first class. Unofficially though, he was a member of a special operations team which took part in dangerous covert missions. After the surrender of Japan in 1945, his team was tasked with the job of rooting out any remaining enemy combatants on the Islands of the South Pacific. It was there that John was seriously wounded in combat multiple times. Like so many men of this Greatest Generation, he was very reluctant to talk about his experiences of war.In recent years, John finally related a few of the stories to his family. While on one mission, John happened upon a patrol of servicemen from a U.S. supply ship which had been ambushed by Japanese holdouts. Caught in crossfire, several of the servicemen on the ship had lost their lives. Risking his own life, John commandeered a machine gun and was able to penetrate the defenses and eliminate the enemy, saving the lives of the 30 or so remaining servicemen. After being discharged from the Navy, John joined his family, who had moved during the war to Russellville, Arkansas. He enlisted in the Naval Reserve, and taking advantage of the G.I. Bill, was able to enter mechanics school at Arkansas Tech College. It was also about this time that he met a beautiful Arkansas girl named Reva Swopes. They were married on July 14, 1950 and soon began carving out a life together. In the spring of 1952, John attended a revival meeting at a small Baptist church in Chickalah, Arkansas. It was there that he gave his life to Christ. In 1953, John was honorably discharged from the Navy Reserves, and wanting to start a family, the young couple decided to move to Texas where there was promise of more plentiful work. The move to Texas, though, was not going to be cheap. It cost a staggering. $100.00. to move all of their furniture and belongings. John worked for a short time with his father and brother, Budd, in Big Spring, TX, constructing Oil Rigs. In 1954, after learning of a new automobile plant being built by General Motors in Arlington, Texas, the couple relocated to Dallas, TX. John got a good job at GM, and there he was able to use his mechanical skills. In 1955, after having saved enough money, the couple purchased a home on Wofford Avenue in Dallas, where John lived until his death. In 1965, John and Reva adopted their son, Shaun. Two years later, he and Reva celebrated the birth of a beautiful baby girl, Cherry. Their family was now complete. After having worked as an inspector at GM, John retired with 30 years of service in 1985. His retirement was short lived though. Soon John discovered it was probably in his best interest to occupy his time away from the house as it was apparent he was driving Reva crazy. In 1986, John took a part time job at the Pleasant Mound United Methodist Church, where he served as custodian. He had to quickly learn all the little things that a good custodian does. One of those things was making sure that the restrooms always had plenty of toilet paper. But in those first few days this proved to be quite a challenge for him. Even with all of his mechanical skills, it took him 3 days to figure out how to open these new style paper dispensers. By the third day, he had threatened that if couldnt figure it out; he would use his hammer to solve the problem. A very conscientious and faithful employee, he soon became beloved by many of the church staff and members... and even though they had differences in their beliefs, that didnt stop John from sharing his faith. He always went above and beyond his required duties and John even spent extra time looking after the elderly and handicapped of the church. He would often create things to make it easier for them to get around He even carried their plates of food at church dinners. As time went on though, the years were starting to catch up to him. In 1997 he retired from the job that he had enjoyed so much, having served there 11 years. It was also during this time, perhaps as a result of his service in the navy, that John became an avid collector of firearms and military memorabilia. a hobby which he enjoyed until his death. He became a regular fixture at what was then known as the Ammo Depot in Mesquite. Here he developed relationships with not only the owners and staff, but also many of the customers, including local peace officers. He was able to impart much of his knowledge and love of firearms to just about everyone who came in the store. As he got older, he was not able to stand as long as he use to. The employees of Ammo Depot provided John with his own special chair that even had his name on it. When John came in the store if another customer happened to be sitting in the chair they were kindly asked by management to get up. From this perch, he was able to regale customers with his knowledge and many, many stories. Though healthy most of his life, in 2007 Johns health took a turn for the worse when he was diagnosed with diabetes. He lost the toes on his left foot but this only temporarily slowed him down. In 2008 John suffered a major setback when he contracted pneumonia, which almost took his life. He spent 2 weeks on life support and nearly 3 months in recovery and rehab. Though at times John became very tired, his fighting spirit never gave up. It was during this time, and his hospitalizations in the following years, where John may have served his greatest role in life. He used his time in the hospital to share his faith with nurses, doctors, and hospital personnel. According to Reva, his favorite book of the Bible was Romans. John felt that the book very clearly and succinctly laid out the plan of salvation, a tenet of the faith he held very dear. John wasnt a great businessman or a well-known leader but he was a great father and husband, who worked long, hard hours to provide for his family. He wanted them to have the foundation and education he was never able to attain. He dedicated his life to providing for them and made sure his children were raised in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. On September 21, 2011 the Lord called John Roy Coley home to be with Him. John is survived by his wife of 61 years, Reva Swopes Coley; his son, Shaun Scott Coley and his wife, Jamie; his daughter, Cherry Beth Coley Keal; two lovely granddaughters, Casey and Lindsey Keal; and his brother, Joe Budd Coley. He was preceded in death by his mother and father, Nora and Joe Coley; his brothers, Robert and George Coley; and his sister, Bonnie. In Lieu of Floral Arrangements the family requests that donations be made to : "In memory of John R. Coley". VA North Texas Healthcare Voluntary Service (135) Attn: Bobby Scoggins - Chief of Voluntary Service 4500 S Lancaster Rd Dallas, TX 75216 Phone is 214-857-0428 Written by Cherry Coley Keal Dear Daddy, Ive been asked to come up with some things to say about you so that others will know the type of person you were. I am not sure I can do you justice, but I will try. My dad was one of 5 kids, born in Louisiana in 1929, at home. He used to tell me stories of growing up in Louisiana and how he and his friends would hide out in the graveyards as it got dark and scare people cutting through them. They loved to torment the people who were slightly drunk by wearing white sheets and acting like ghosts. I spent many afternoons as a child, snuggled up against him on the couch, listening to his stories of being on a farm, living with 4 brothers and sisters, and the funny things they used to do to each other. He joined the Navy at age 15 so he could fight in WWII. He spent time in China and Guam. We still have many of the Buddhas and artifacts he brought home from China. He loved his days in the Navy and often spoke of being on the ship at sea. He bragged about getting lots of target practice by shooting the rats on the ship. The men of the Navy loved to play practical jokes on each other. The two tours he served were some of the hardest and most profound moments in his life. Much of what he experienced he took with him for the rest of his life. My dad was a dreamer and a true storyteller. I look back now and I know that much of my odd way of looking at things and relaying my point of view really came from him. He wasnt highly educated, but in many ways, he was one of the smartest people I ever knew. He moved to Dallas, TX, in the 1950s and bought a small house. He built a large den and back porch onto that house, and he made the garage into a room until it was big enough for our family. He could look at things, take them apart in his mind and figure out how to put them together or fix them. Although he might not be able to completely explain it all, he still knew what he was doing. He worked for General Motors for 30 years. The job was challenging, physically hard on him, with long hours, but he didnt really complain about any of it that I can remember. He would come home with stories about playing practical jokes on different people at times. Every once in a while, some supervisor would tell him he couldnt do something. His answer to that statement was to show them that he could do it, do it better than they thought, and get it done his way. I guess thats where I get my stubbornness, too. My dad was the ultimate protector. He was knowledgeable in firearms, swords and just about any other kind of weapon you could imagine. He was also very careful to not keep them loaded and to make sure that we didnt touch them without asking. He taught respect. Both my parents taught me to cut my own path in this world, that no matter how well-worn the easy path was. Easy isnt necessarily the path you want to take. When I got to high school, my brother was already in drama and the music program. It would have been easy to follow in his footsteps. It was my dad who pulled me aside one day and asked me what I really wanted. I was being silly and worrying about hurting feelings if I didnt go into music, and he knew that. He told me, you just be you and dont worry about anything else. I took commercial art and journalism instead. Its a decision Ive never regretted. Thanks, Daddy! My mom was very sick while I was in my last year of high school. Many times, it was just daddy and me at home. There was a time when everything felt so very dark, and it just seemed too hard to keep going. Many of those days, my dad would get up, go to work and come home so tired he would just collapse. He noticed me sitting and just staring at my homework one night and asked me what was wrong. I asked him, Whats the point? He sat down beside me and said, The point is, when things get hard, you keep moving. I learned that in the Navy. There are times you sit still and you wait for the enemy to pass, and there are times to move. You have to learn to do both. Well, I was 17 at the time and I wasnt completely sure what all that meant, but it has stayed with me and I know he was right; there are times in life when you wait for things to pass and then its time to move forward. Its insight that has carried me through some of the darkest days in my life. My dad was far from perfect. He had his moments, just like everyone else. He believed in discipline and honesty. He believed in hard work and safety. We always knew we were safe with him. He would check every door, window, and gauge or dial every night. There was never a question if anything was left on or unlocked, because it wasnt. When I had night terrors as a child, he figured out I would wake up around the same time every night. From that moment, he would be there every night to wake me, make me walk up the hall, then put me back to bed. I still wake up at 2am a lot of nights.He wanted to make sure I was safe when driving to and from work at the mall. Many times the lights in the parking lot would be turned off, and we would be walking to our cars in the dark. Every night I worked late, my daddy would meet me at the door of the mall and drive me to my car, then follow me home. This might seem over-protective, but I loved him for it. Cell phones were not necessary. He wanted to know when you left and which way you were coming home. He knew how long it would take and if you didnt report back, he would be along shortly to find you. When I had a flat or the car died, I just waited and sure enough, he would be there to help. My dad had a kind heart and gentle touch when needed. He put up with me bringing home any and every kind of animal. If it was hurt, hed try to fix it. He taught me a great respect for life itself in how he treated all of Gods creatures. He loved them all. I could go on and on and never do justice to this man, so I will say this: Daddy, you taught me so very much about people, animals and just life in general. You were mostly a quiet and observant person, at times a gentle spirit, and yet as stubborn and hard-headed as they come. The most important thing you taught me, though, is the one thing I feel in every breath. You taught me faith. You taught me to never look at the church or the people, but to just look past all the humans who make mistakes to God the Father. People fail, but God is perfect and He is always there. I love you, Daddy! The next time I see you, well share a big piece of chocolate cake and it wont have sugar or calories.