Eighth Generation

10776. John Nelson Coffey Sr.¹⁵⁰⁹ was born on 4 January 1902 in Raleigh, Wake Co., NC. He lived with his parents in Wake Co., NC on 9 January 1920. John was graduated in 1924 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Orange Co., NC.¹⁵⁰⁹ John died on 20 July 1988 at the age of 86 in Raleigh, Wake Co., NC and was buried at Montlawn Memorial Park in Raleigh, Wake Co., NC.^{1509,31514,31515}

Obituary, The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC), July 1988

J.N. Coffey, former council member, dies

John Nelson Coffey, 86, a former Raleigh City Council member and president of John W. Coffey & Son General Contractors, died Wednesday.

Coffey was on the city council in the late 1950s, serving as chairman of the public works committee. He also was a longtime member of the board of directors of First Federal Savings and Loan Association.

A Raleigh native, Coffey graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His son, John N. Coffey Jr., said he was a former president of the North Carolina Aero Club and organized trips across the world for the group of private pilots. Cuba, the Caribbean Islands and sites in the Mediterranean Sea were among some of the places he had visited, the son said.

"He loved to travel," the younger Coffey said. "He took two trips overseas every year." The younger Coffey described his father as a man who loved people. "He never met a stranger," his son said.

Coffey is survived by his wife, Mrs. Thelma Gatewood Coffey; sons, John N. Coffey Jr. and Thomas Gatewood Coffey, both of Raleigh; sisters, Mrs. Frances Green and Miss Natalie Coffey. both of Raleigh; and seven grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements are by Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, St. Mary's Street. The family will be at the funeral home from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and at the home of John N. Coffey Jr., 3605 Dade St., during other times.

"During the first years of marriage, John and 'String' lived in an apartment in his father's house at 711 McCullock Street in the Boylan Heights neighborhood of Raleigh. The apartment was one of two in a 2-storey wing built by the elder Coffey for his married children. In 1939, the family moved to 1720 Canterbury Rd. into a house built by John W. Coffey & Son. The house was sold in 1987."

Accomplishments:

"Councilman, Raleigh City Council, Raleigh, three terms: 1957-63. Chairman, Public Works Committee.

"Director, First Federal Savings and Loan, Raleigh.

"North Carolina Aero Club, 1952-?; president

"Lions Club, Raleigh, 1929-88.

"Member, Hayes Barton United Methodist Church, Raleigh."

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The Mar. 27, 1954 issue of State magazine, published in Raleigh, NC, contains a tale about the time John, who was then president of the NC Aero Club, was to give a talk in front of the group which was meeting soon at Dunn in Harnett Co., NC. When he was delayed at the Dunn airport while greeting arrivals, the group at the restaurant where the meeting was to be held came up with an idea to surprise Coffey.

The members agreed to the idea and posted someone at the door to announce the arrival of Coffey. As soon as he was spotted, one of the members arose to speak to a then hushed crowd and announced: "We wish to extend our sincere thanks to the mayor, to the Jaycees....and now, if there is no other business to come before the club, we'll stand adjourned and go back to the airport. I hope all of you have a safe and pleasant flight back to your home ports."

With that, everyone rose to leave, thereby shocking the just arrived Coffey. But, as soon as everyone broke into laughter he realized that he had been had. He made his speech to the group and "good humor" had returned when the meeting ended.

John Nelson Coffey Sr. and Mary Thelma Gatewood were married on 28 January 1928 in Danville, Pittsylvania Co., VA.¹⁵⁰⁹
Between October 1941 and August 1979, John and Thelma are recorded as grantors in property located in Anson County Wadesboro Twp. See Grantor Index to Deeds at Anson County, Book A., Page 369. John and Mary¹⁵⁰⁹ lived with his parents in Wake Co., NC on 3 April 1930. They appeared in the census on 27 April 1940 in Raleigh Twp., Wake Co., NC.³¹⁵¹⁶ Mary Thelma Gatewood, daughter of Daniel Eugene Gatewood and Mary C. Tice, was born on 22 May 1906 in Wadesboro, Anson Co., NC.¹⁵⁰⁹ Mary died on 27 December 1988 at the age of 82 in Raleigh, Wake Co., NC and was buried at Montlawn Memorial Park in Raleigh, Wake Co., NC in December 1988 .^1509,31517

John Nelson Coffey Sr. and Mary Thelma Gatewood had the following children: