Dr. Jack L. Coats

Dr. Jack L. Coats, MD died on Wednesday, September 11, 2013 at MD Anderson Hospital in Houston, Texas. He was born December 24, 1928 in Fellsburg, Kansas to Clen Dennen Coats and Marie Cox Coats. At an early age he moved to Miami, Oklahoma. He graduated from Miami High School in 1946. He attended NE Oklahoma Junior College and transferred to the University of Oklahoma graduating in 1951 with a degree in bacteriology. He served in the US Army for two years mostly working in bacteriology labs at Pine Bluff Arsenal and Ft. Detrick, Maryland. It was while he was at Ft. Detrick that he met his future wife, Nancy Godsey. After discharge from the Army he began his medical studies at the University of Oklahoma. He married Nancy on August 21, 1954 in Frederick, Maryland. He graduated from medical school in 1957 and served an internship at St. John's Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 1959 Jack and Nancy moved to Farmington along with their son, Larry. He opened his solo practice of family medicine on April 1, 1959 and practiced for 35 years. During his years of practicing medicine, he headed up a very successful campaign for polio vaccination in the county. He was a Councilor for the New Mexico Medical Society for many years representing San Juan County. In 1976 he helped form the New Mexico Mutual Liability Insurance Co. to provide malpractice insurance to the physicians of New Mexico and served on their Board of Directors until his retirement in 1994. In 1986 he was involved with forming the San Juan IPA and served as its first president. He also served on the Hall of Fame Committee for the San Juan Regional Medical Center and was honored by them in 2006. He was a past president of the Farmington Museum Foundation and was very proud to be in charge of the root beer floats at the Ice Cream Social. Jack's activities and hobbies were reading, fly-fishing, skiing, backpacking, elk hunting, trips to Lake Powell, traveling all over the US and Canada in his VW camper-van and cheering for his beloved Dallas Cowboys. Jack is survived by his wife, Nancy, son Larry and wife, Heather Hayes of Salt Lake City, daughter Becky and her husband Russell McNealy of Albuquerque, son Tim and wife Karen of Salt Lake City and two grandchildren,
Ben McNealy of Newark, Delaware and Grace McNealy of Albuquerque and one sister, Patricia Shumaker of Sunnyvale, California. Jack's memorial service will be on Friday, September 27 at 2:00 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church 808 N. Monterey in Farmington with the Rev. Dave Blackwell officiating. Honorary pallbearers are Gwen Clouthier, Charles Freuden, Martin Johnson, John Rusen, Russ McNealy and Dr. James Spence. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the San Juan College Foundation Scholarship Fund 4601 College Blvd. Farmington, NM 87402 or the First United Methodist Church Foundation 808 N. Monterey Farmington, NM 87401. Jack's care is entrusted to Brewer, Lee and Larkin Funeral Home 103 E.
Ute St. in Farmington 505 325-8688.