Marvin “Marv” Wayne Coleman, age 84, slipped peacefully from this life into the presence of Jesus on Saturday, August 6, 2022, in San Tan Valley, AZ. He was born January 5, 1938, in Chicago, Illinois, the second of two sons, to Thomas Chester and Ruth Coleman.
Growing up in Cassopolis, Michigan, Marv played basketball and baseball for the Sam Adams Rangers and exhibited talent well beyond his stature. He later took up golf and it became one of the great loves of his life. In1994, he became a certified PGA pro. He played in many senior tournaments and worked as a teaching pro, passing on his love of the game to those fortunate enough to encounter such a passionate and knowledgeable instructor.
Marv’s original career was with “Ma Bell,” rising from lineman to regional manager and he was highly regarded within the company. He received the Pinnacle Award from Indiana Bell Telephone after managing communications for the 1987 Pan Am Games held in Indianapolis, Indiana. In retirement, he went on to found “Grateful Family Enterprises,” a successful data wiring business that he ran with his wife, Pam. They employed his son, Dave, and eventually, Dave’s son Anthony. It was a family business in the truest sense of the word.
Marv loved spending time in Michigan, at the Allison cottage on Donnell Lake and his mother’s home on Big Fish Lake. Summers meant fishing, swimming, boating, and water skiing. The pride on his face when each of his kids got up on skis for the first time was priceless. He remained an avid fisherman his entire life and loved nothing more than catching and cooking up “a mess of bluegills” anytime the fish were biting. Marv was also an excellent pool player. He won more than one Arizona state senior championship title.
Marv and Pam loved to travel. They enjoyed taking trips in their camper, often returning to Michigan for weeks at a time in the summer for more family fun at the lake. A recent houseboat trip on Lake Powell with Wendy and Steve’s family was the realization of a long-held dream. His truly was a life well-lived. And yet it wasn’t his earthly accomplishments that brought Marv peace and joy, but rather his membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Gospel and those they share it with became a major focus in their marriage. In 2007-2008 Marv and Pam served a Mission in St. Martin and Trinidad-Tobago supporting the Elders in the West Indies Mission.
Marvin will be greatly missed by family and friends. He is survived by his wife, Pamela and his daughters, Sherry Hyatte, Wendy (Steve) Grace, and Kathy Coleman (Lisa Brown); eight grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Thomas L. Coleman, ex-wife Karen Coleman and their son, David Wayne Coleman.
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