Jim Coleman

Coleman, James Edwin (Jim), 88, longtime IBM and CBS executive, died on September 5, 2022 after a brief illness. Born in Brooklyn, NY to Myles and Betty Coleman, Jim spent most of his life in the New York area.

It was a life of many accomplishments, which began with a full scholarship to Bishop Loughlin High School where he distinguished himself both in the classroom and in athletics. As a member of the school’s track team Jim won both the two Mile Relay and the Distance Medley Relay in the 1951 Penn Relay Championships. This success earned him membership in the Bishop Loughlin Athletic Hall of Fame.

He served in the US Army of occupation in Munich, Germany after high school, and was honorably discharged in 1956. He married Bernice Connolly, the mother of his children, in the same year and began night classes at St John’s University, while working days as a NYC Patrolman.

Upon graduation with a degree in Accounting, Jim joined IBM in New York City where he found his true calling in Sales and Marketing. Through the years he was the IBM Marketing Manager to several corporations - Doubleday, Dun & Bradstreet, and Reader’s Digest to name a few.

Assigned for a time to the World Trade Division of IBM, Jim returned to the US Data Processing Division to accept the position of Account Executive to CBS. His help in developing a strategy for their growth in technology yielded a job offer which he accepted, soon becoming the CBS Vice President of Telecommunications. He came back to IBM to serve as Account Executive to Equitable Life and Metropolitan Life Insurance companies before his retirement in 1987.

But it was not all work and no play. His joy in life was his family, when every weekend, after an early round of golf (he was good at that, too!), he would return home to spend all weekend with his nine children as their short-order cook and activities director. He introduced them to Yankee games, cookouts at the IBM Country Club, day trips to amusement parks and all the many activities the area had to offer. Every Saturday was an event in the Coleman household.

Jim was predeceased by his parents Myles and Betty, his wife Bernice, his two brothers Mike and Bill, his son Kenneth and his daughter-in-law Sherri. He is survived by his wife Janice Henry Coleman, whom he met at IBM. He and Janice moved to Nashville in 2005 to be near her mother.

Jim also leaves behind eight children - daughters Patty (Bob) Durso and Catherine (Rick) Horne; sons Jim (Bernadette Walker), Kevin (Sharon), Dennis (Ziba), Brian (Colleen), Michael, and Tom (Cindy); 14 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

It was a life well lived and a life well loved.

A Graveside Service will be held on October 19, 2022 at eleven o'clock in the morning at Woodlawn Memorial Park.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.Woodlawn-Roesch-PattonFH.com for the Coleman family.