Tenth Generation

20542. Paul Erskine Coffey was born on 21 May 1927 in Chattanooga, Hamilton Co., TN.³⁷²³ Paul died in Ringgold, Catoosa Co., GA on 7 February 2012 and was buried at Chattanooga National Cemetery in Chattanooga, Hamilton Co., TN on 10 February 2012 .⁴⁷⁴²²

Obituary, Rev. Paul E. Coffey, Chattanooga Times Free Press, Feb. 9, 2012

RINGGOLD, GA - Rev. Paul E. Coffey, 84, went to be with the Lord on Tuesday, February 7, 2012.

Paul was born and raised in Chattanooga, TN and later moved his family to the Atlanta, GA area where he lived until 2005. 

He served in the US Navy during World War II stationed on Destroyer Escort USS Robert F. Keller DE-419. His ship was 45 miles out when the atomic bomb was dropped over Hiroshima and he was one of the last living witnesses to the explosion. 

He retired in 1971 from Western Union Telephone Co. where he worked for many years. 

He was ordained in the Church of the Nazarene in 1960 and pastored several Nazarene and Wesleyan churches. His first pastorate was the Wilders Tower Church of the Nazarene in Chickamauga Park. Other churches included South Trion, Louisville, Ga., Hortense Wesleyan, Covington First Wesleyan, Atlanta First Wesleyan, and Little Rock, Ga., Wesleyan. 

Paul will always be loved and sadly missed by his wife and family, his former church members and friends. 

He was preceded in death by his parents, Dock C. and Elizabeth Coffey; brothers, Robert and Charles Coffey; and sisters, Myrtle Kittle and Betty McEntire.

Mr. Coffey is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Dorothy Averitt Coffey; sons, Paul Stephen Coffey (Norma) and David Michael Coffey (Tracey); granddaughter, Cassie Renee Coffey; grandson, Randy Michael Coffey; two stepgrandsons, Michael and Perry Kelly; and several great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be 1 p.m. Friday in the funeral home chapel with Rev. Sheldon Rowell Sr., pastor of Bethlehem Wesleyan Church, Jesup, Ga., officiating. Special music will be by Rev. Michael Batten of Brunswick, Ga.

Interment will be in National Cemetery.

The family will receive friends from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. today at Heritage Funeral Home and Crematory, Battlefield Parkway, Fort Oglethrope, GA

A living couple was married circa 1948. Living (private).