Eighth Generation

11605. Dr. Charles McDonald "Don" Coffey III was born on 15 November 1927 in Statesville, Iredell Co., NC. He lived with his parents in North Wilkesboro, Wilkes Co., NC on 12 April 1930. Charles died in Davidson, Mecklenburg Co., NC on 11 November 2015 and was buried at Greenwood Cemetery in North Wilkesboro, Wilkes Co., NC in November 2015 .^33208,33209

Obituary, The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, Fri., Nov. 13, 2015

Dr. C. Don Coffey DAVIDSON - Dr. Charles MacDonald ";Don"; Coffey III, of Davidson, NC, died Wednesday, November 11, 2015, at the Pines Retirement Community in Davidson. He was born November 16, 1927, in North Wilkesboro, NC, son of Charles MacDonald Coffey Jr. and Martha Lura Finley Coffey.

on attended McCallie School and received a BS in Business from Davidson College in 1949, where he was Phi Beta Kappa and received the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award. He was a Second Lieutenant in the US Army Reserve from 1949 to 1954 and was in business with his father. He married Ruth King Wood Coffey on December 21, 1951, in Low Moor, VA. Don attended Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, VA before Ruth and Don were called to Ridgecrest and Oakboro Presbyterian Churches in Stanley County, NC where they served until Don returned to Union Theological Seminary and received a Master and Doctor of Theology in 1964. Don was called to serve at Erskine Theological Seminary in Due West, SC where he was Professor of Biblical Theology and Christian Education. In 1980, Ruth and Don retired to Davidson, NC and were very active at Davidson College Presbyterian Church and in the community. Ruth and Don moved to the Pines Retirement Community in 2005.

Throughout his retirement, Don continued to work as an Investment Manager with the Christian Social Justice Fund through which he invested in the stock market in order to make generous gifts to various global hunger relief and social justice organizations. Don continued this investment work until his death and enjoyed teaching his friends and family about his philanthropic philosophy so that they might continue his work.

In 2011, Don was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 60 years, Ruth.

Don is survived by his children, Elizabeth Ann ";Betsy"; Coffey Massey and husband, Richard; Stephen MacDonald Coffey and wife, Beth; Charles Welton Coffey and wife, Susan; Carol Blanton Coffey-Howard and husband, Stephen; as well as nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, November 14, at 3:00pm at Davidson College Presbyterian Church. A reception will follow. In lieu of flowers, please send memorials to: Church World Service, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN 46515; Presbyterian Mission Agency, 100 Witherspoon St., Louisville, KY 40202-1396; or JHC-CDCA, c/o 352 Carly Ln., Rock Hill, SC 29732.

Dr. Charles McDonald "Don" Coffey III and Ruth King Wood were married on 21 December 1951 at Low Moor Presbyterian Church in Low Moor, Alleghany Co., VA.^33210,33211

Wedding Notice, The Greensboro Daily News, Greensboro, NC, Mon., Oct. 8, 1951, Page 9, Col. 1

Ruth King Wood to Wed Mr. Coffey

North Wilkesboro, Oct. 7 - Rev. and Mrs. W. Graham Wood of Low Moor, Va., announce the engagement of their daughter, Ruth King, to C. Don Coffey, III, son of Mr. and Mrs. C. Don Coffey, Jr., of North Wilkesboro. The wedding is planned for December.

Miss Wood is the director of religious education for the First Presbyterian Church in North Wilkesboro, and Mr. Coffey is a second year ministerial student at Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Va. Ruth King Wood was born on 18 June 1925 in Ronceverte, Greenbrier, WV. Ruth died at Pines Retirement Community in Davidson, Mecklenburg Co., NC on 18 November 2011 and was buried at It appears from her obituary that her remains were cremated. Greenwood Cemetery in North Wilkesboro, Wilkes Co., NC in November 2011 .^33212,33213

Obituary, Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., NC, Nov. 20, 2011

Mrs. Coffey of Davidson, NC died Friday, November 18, 2011 at the Pines Retirement Community in Davidson. She was born June 18, 1925 in Ronceverte, WV, daughter of The Rev. Welton Graham Wood and Ruth Blanton Wood. After graduating from Maryville College in Maryville, TN, she obtained a Master of Christian Education at Assembly's Training School (now Presbyterian School of Christian Education) at Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, VA.

She served as the first Director of Christian Education at North Wilkesboro Presbyterian Church. On December 21, 1951 she married Charles MacDonald Coffey, a student at Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, VA. Ruth and Don were called to Ridgecrest and Oakboro Presbyterian Churches in Stanley County, NC where they served four years until they returned to Union Theological Seminary, where Don completed his doctoral degree. Don was then called to serve at Erskine Theological Seminary in Due West, SC where Ruth became active in her church and community, serving on the Town Council and as President of American Association of University Women.

In 1980 Ruth and Don moved to Davidson where she continued her service to the church and community. In 2005, she received the Omicron Delta Kappa Award from Davidson College for her dedicated service. She was also moderator of Presbyterian Women at Davidson College Presbyterian Church, and was known to break fundraising records for the CROP Walk to End Hunger. Additionally, Ruth was an avid organic gardener and tennis player. She was a devoted mother to her four children.

She is survived by her husband, Don, and their children: Elizabeth Ann 'Betsy' Massey and husband, Richard; Stephen MacDonald Coffey and wife, Beth; Charles Welton Coffey and wife, Susan; Carol Blanton Coffey-Howard and husband, Stephen; and nine grandchildren. In addition, she is survived by her sister, Mary Virginia Wood Prochazka, and brother, Welton Graham Wood. She was preceded in death by her sister, Ann Irving Wood Moffett.

A Memorial Service will be held Monday, November 21 at 10:00 a.m. at Davidson College Presbyterian Church. A reception will follow.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be sent to: Church World Service, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN, 46515.

Raymer-Kepner Funeral Home is serving the family.