Coulson Tough

Coulson Tough, proud son of Scottish-born Stewart and Mary Jane Tough, protective big brother to Stewart and Agnes, veteran of WW II Army Air Corps, alumnus of University of Michigan, adoring husband to Colleen, loving father of Bruce and Cindy, first cousin to Scots, Stewart, David and Norman Tough, architect for University of California, Vice President of University of Houston, member of the dream team that actualized George Mitchell’s vision of The Woodlands, director of revitalization of Mitchell’s beloved Galveston, very proud and involved Grandfather to Madison, Tara, Abby and Sydney Tough and Alex Tough-Grunenfelder, honored fellow of the American Institute of Architects, world traveler, voracious reader, historian, aficionado of scotch, loyal friend to too many to count, but most recently, Bill Kolbe, Bruce Ruisard, and Cary Lindsay, to name a few, and best friend to Bruce.

Coulson was born on December 7, 1926 in Detroit Michigan, not long after his parents had emigrated from Dundee Scotland to escape the challenging Scottish economy following WWI, in which his dad had served. At the age of eight, Coulson experienced the premature death of his father and a sudden end to his sweet innocence as he was proclaimed the man of the family. He always recounted that he had had a very happy childhood despite being poor, in part because all of his friends were poor, too. Coulson was the one his friends could count on to organize after-school ice hockey in the winter by enclosing part of a field and filling it with water, and baseball and football in the warmer months. In school, he proved to be one of the brightest and serious students, being invited to attend high school at Cass Academy, where he earned one of his first of many honors, the American Legion award and graduated in 1944.

Following high school, at the age of 17, Coulson eagerly enlisted in the Army Air Corps, what is now the Air Force, where he served in France and Germany and at the time of his discharge had risen to the rank of sergeant. Upon his discharge, Coulson attended and graduated in 1951 from the University of Michigan, earning a degree in architecture. On a blind date, he met fun-loving, vivacious, beautiful Colleen Bohn who could always make him laugh, bringing him to tears. After a whirlwind courtship, they married and headed west to California on their honeymoon to start their grand adventure. Two wonderful children followed, Bruce and Cindy.

Coulson started his illustrious career as an architect with the University of California system, where his skill, precision, vision, work ethic and dependability were first noted. Prior to his move to the University of Houston in 1968, he was the lead architect in the construction of the University of California, Irvine. During his sixteen years in California, he also designed and built a contemporary three-story home in Woodland Hills and designed a barn remodel for future president Reagan.

In those early years, Coulson and Colleen had little disposable income, but still found a way to live life to the fullest. They would spend long sunny days at the beach with their infant son, Bruce, and friends, bringing picnic baskets and playing football and volleyball. Coulson eventually learned to sail and joined a sailing team and taught Bruce to sail. In the evenings, they hosted barbeques and cocktails for friends and visiting family. It was a fabulous life!

Once at the University of Houston, Coulson was Vice President of Facilities and Operations. It was a period of great changes at UH that resulted in campus and building renovations and the construction of many new buildings. He also traveled to several South American universities to consult in the design and construction of campuses.While seeking property up north to build a UH satellite campus along the lines of the Clear Lake campus, Coulson met George Mitchell. Mitchell offered him a job and, in 1973, Coulson joined what became known as the dream team in the development of The Woodlands. One of Coulson’s oft-told stories was that he had pen and paper next to the telephone because George Mitchell would always call on Sunday nights and get right to the point of the call without small talk, once saying nothing more than “Coulson, go buy a building in Galveston.” Coulson did, purchasing a historic building that later was renovated to be the Tremont House. The construction of the San Luis Hotel and Pier 21 and renovation of the Galvez Hotel, to name a few of the Galveston projects, followed under the direction of Coulson toward the revitalization of Mitchell’s beloved home town.

Coulson was famous for his punctuality, work ethic, and dependability to finish a project on time and within budget – although, in most cases, Coulson’s projects were finished ahead of schedule and under budget. His attention to detail and budgets perhaps explains why Mitchell asked Coulson, who had just retired from The Woodlands Development Company at the age of 77, to oversee all aspects of the design and construction of the Mitchell Physics Building at Texas A&M.

Coulson’s fingerprints and vision can be found throughout The Woodlands, having been associated with approximately 130 projects, including The Woodlands Mall, Town Center, the Waterway, Cynthia Woods Pavilion, Club at Carlton Woods, The Woodlands Waterway Hotel and Convention Center. Coulson also spearheaded the outdoor sculpture program, researching and travelling to meet artists and commissioning sculptures and other art throughout The Woodlands.

He was a charter member of The Woodlands Community Presbyterian Church, served as Trustee of Conroe ISD and President of the South Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, founded the local chapter of Rotary, and served on numerous boards of directors. Some of his proudest honors were being selected as one of the original hometown heroes, having a school in The Woodlands named after him, being selected a fellow of the American Institute of Architects and receiving a rotary Paul Harris Fellowship Award. He set an example that his children took to heart to generously contribute time, money and talent to their community.

Amidst all of the living of life, tragedy struck, not just when his father died at the young age of 40, but when Colleen and then Cindy got cancer, undergoing years of treatment. Coulson held his family together, and with the passing of Colleen and Cindy, the bond between father and son tightened. They considered each other best friends and spent hours and hours together up to the very end — traveling through Europe, cruising up the Mississippi River, going on two-week hikes in national parks with the hiking club a couple of times a year, drinking scotch, sharing wonderful holiday and birthday celebration dinners with the added bonus of entertainment by his grandchildren, and attending galas, park openings, George’s Coffee Club, Rotary and other community events.

Coulson is predeceased by his parents, Stewart and Mary Jane Tough, siblings, Stewart and Agnes Tough, wife, Colleen, and daughter, Cindy. He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Bruce and Diana and their children, his grandchildren, Madison, Tara, Abby and Sydney, his grandson, Alex Grunenfelder-Tough, his Scottish cousins, Stewart, David and Norman and his wife and daughter, Connie and Iona, and many nieces and nephews and their children. Throughout his life, he valued all of his many rich friendships, far and wide, especially Bill Kolbe, his travel and Truluck’s happy hour companion, Bruce Ruisard, who hosted many gourmet dinners for his friends, and Cary Lindsay, who shared many a scintillating discussion over coffee. Sadly and unexpectedly, Bill and Bruce predeceased Coulson, also in the month of January. Coulson’s family is thankful for the blessing of the special angels who cared for him with loving care during his last year and a half – his favorite, Cassie, and Tina, Shawanda, Deja, Adriene, Glendis, etc. with Tina Reed's Caring Hands.

A viewing will be held on Thursday, February 3, 2022 from 5:30 to 8 at the Forest Park Funeral Home and Cemetery-The Woodlands, located at 18000 I-45 S, The Woodlands Texas 77384, and a service will be held on Friday, February 4, 2022, at 2:00 o’clock at The Woodlands Community Presbyterian Church, located at 4881 W. Panther Creek, The Woodlands, Texas 77381, with reception to follow, and burial with honor guard at the Houston National Cemetery on February 9, 2022 at 10 AM in lane 1 (arrive at 9:45). In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the Coulson Tough Memorial Fund at The Woodlands Community Presbyterian Church.