Robert Patton Coats

Bob Coats of Dallas, TX ,passed away peacefully on Wednesday, 2/20/2019 at 5:03 pm surrounded by his family. He will forever be remembered as a loving husband, father, friend, and colleague to all that knew him.

He was born on November 24, 1931, in Dallas, TX, to Grady and Leva Coats. Bob graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1949. He then got his Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from SMU and worked for Texas Instruments for over 40 years.

Bob met his wife, Noriko, in Japan in 1971 on the way to Australia to meet up with his brother, Gary, and then fiancée, Julanne. Bob and Noriko married two weeks later and Bob never made it to Australia. Bob and Noriko had their only child, Gene, the following year.

Bob became a Buddhist practitioner and member of the Soka Gakkai International-USA soon after marrying Noriko. Together, through their Buddhist practice, they learned to treasure each individual and dedicated their lives for the happiness of others.

Bob is survived by his wife of 47 years, Noriko; son, Gene; brother, Gary; daughter-in-law, Akiko; granddaughters, Sophia and Olivia; and nephews and nieces Greg, Claire, Kristen and Collette.

The visitation will be at 2-3pm on Sunday, 2/24, immediately followed by the funeral service at 3-4pm at Sparkman/Hillcrest Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Soka Gakkai International-USA (https://portal.sgi-usa.org/portal/contribution). Online condolences may be made by visiting www.sparkman-hillcrest.com.