Patricia E. Coats

Patricia E. Coats, 92 of Indianapolis, passed away on November 13, 2024 at Hoosier Village, Indianapolis. Patricia E. Coats was born March 18, 1932 in Blandinsville, Illinois. She married Robert L. Coats on August 20th, 1950 in Ottawa, Illinois. She was a mother, homemaker and missionary with her husband for 36 years with the American Baptist Mission in Thailand. Patricia E. Coats is preceded in death by her son, Stephen Richard Coats, and her sister Doris (Howard) Grisby, her parents, Hazel and Earl Hays, and her grandson Paul Spors. Patricia E. Coats is survived by her husband, Robert Coats, her children Margaret Spors, Mark (Peggy Stoll) Coats, John (Debbie) Coats, and Scott (Tan) Coats, daughter-in-law Kim (Stephen Coats) Bobo and her grandchildren Rick (Robin) Davis, Melissa (Adam) Waite, Tom (Jenny) Spors, Michelle (Mark) Vandermeulen, Becky (Paul) Spors, Jenny (Chris) Hill, David Spors, Kristin (Peter Elliott) Coats, Micah Coats, Alisa Coats, Ben Bobo, Eric Coats, Michael Spors, Silas Coats, Sammy (Anna) Coats, Jesse (Sekah) Coats, seventeen great grandchildren and two great-great grandsons. Visitation will be at 10:00 AM November 23rd at First Baptist Church, 8600 N College Ave, Indianapolis, Indiana followed by the service 11:30 AM The family wishes to extend our sincere thanks to the staff of the Hoosier Village Health Center, Chris Davis (hospice nurse) and AseraCare Hospice Care. If you wish to honor Pat with a contribution to the charity of your choice, please do so. The service will be livestreamed with the following link and information: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86582402829?pwd=XCG9nVWRkyrT5qa46EYkMaITFPIBlb.1 Meeting ID: 865 8240 2829 Passcode: fbcindy Patricia E. Coats was born March 18, 1932 in Blandinsville, Illinois to her parents Hazel and Earl Hays. She attended Jefferdon and Shabbona Elementary Schools and Ottawa Township High School. She always excelled in school. Most people knew her as Pat, although Bob called her Patty throughout their years together. Bob and Pat first met in church. He was sitting on the row behind her and pulled her pigtails. They grew up in the same church and youth group. Bob took a special shine to her when they went on a double date in high school, when Bob was a junior and Pat was a freshman. Unfortunately, Pat and Bob were each with different partners on that date. But Bob fixed that. He took the other two folks, their partners, home first. Then he drove Pat home. Bob walked her to the door and gave her a kiss. According to Bob, Pat was shocked. They dated for the next two years, until Bob went off to Knox College. They managed to stay in touch despite no cellphones. Two months after Pat graduated from high school, they got married in Ottawa, Illinois on August 20, 1950. A year later their first child Stephen was born. Pat had been working at a bank while Bob was in school. When the bank managers found out she was pregnant, they fired her. After Stephen was born, Bob juggled several jobs and school to keep them afloat. They moved to Berkeley, California for Bob to attend the American Baptist Seminary of the West. Margaret was born during their three years there. Pat and Bob felt called to mission work. The Mission Secretary thought all missionaries needed experience before going overseas, so they moved to Aurora, IL where Bob pastored a church for three years. Mark was born in this period. Pat was busy with three young children. In 1959, after the American Baptist Mission Board approved them to serve, Pat, Bob and their three children took a boat for a month to Hong Kong and then flew to Bangkok. Their families weren’t happy with them leaving the country for an anticipated four to five years, with no visits or phone calls. Pat and Bob spent their first year in Bangkok learning Thai. They attended classes daily. John was born that year in Bangkok. Pat and Bob were given a choice of working with the Chinese or the Karen, and chose the Karen, a hill tribe people who live in Burma and Thailand. They were sent to Chiang Mai for a month or so, and then on to Mae Sariang, a small town not far from the Burmese border that was a central city for Karens. The roads to Mae Sariang were only open six months of the year due to rains and there was one flight in a week. The mission had built a nice house, although modest by American standards. They didn’t have electricity for the first five years. Bob and Pat spent the first two years learning the Karen language. Once Bob got enough language under his belt, he began visiting villages. He’d be gone for a week or two at a time. Because there were no schools for the kids, Pat became the teacher using first-class curriculum. With Bob out of town for long periods, Pat made most decisions for the family in completely new environments with little support. She was the parent, the teacher and the manager. She also helped manage a nearby hostel for Karen kids, helping with the books and overall management. Later, when the new mission hospital was built, Pat served as an assistant to the doctor, despite no formal medical training. During their first furlow back in the US in 1963, their youngest child Scott was born. When they returned for their second term, Bob was all over the mountains visiting Karen villages. Pat returned to teaching, managing the house, helping with the hostel and assisting at the hospital. Their third term was in Mae Sariang as well. Pat became active in working with Karen church women develop economic activity. In 1975, when they returned to Thailand, they were assigned to Chiang Mai, the second largest city in Thailand in the northern part of the country – much more modern than Mae Sariang. Bob was called to teach at the Karen Bible School. Pat did some teaching too. Once again, Bob traveled all over the north and Pat managed the family. Two years later, the Mission voted for Bob to be the Secretary of the Mission, requiring a move to Bangkok. By this point, the older three kids were in the states attending college. Once again, Bob’s job required lots of travel, so Pat continued to manage the house and raise Scott and John. Soon after arriving in Bangkok, Cambodia refugees began pouring into Thailand trying to escape the Khmer Rouge. People were starving, sick, dying and no one was prepared for them. The churches responded. Faith communities around the world sent delegations to help and Pat became the point person for the mission in terms of managing volunteers, getting delegations settled. She was appointed to the Commission on Refugees by the United Nation. Pat saw and experienced unbelievable suffering at the camps. Pat worked tirelessly during this crisis until the UN could get decent systems in place. After John and Scott went to college, Pat became active in prison ministry in Bangkok. She focused particularly on visiting the young people from other countries who got arrested on drug charges and were put in horrendous jail situations. The conditions were harsh and the sentences were long. Pat was a friend to these young people and she connected them with friends and families. Having someone who spoke English and Thai was important in navigating the prison systems. Pat was very active at International Church Bangkok, serving as its treasurer for a while. She helped organize monthly craft sales to generate funds for hilltribe families. She was also active with the Bangkok Christian Guest House, where she managed the entire guesthouse several times when they needed someone to fill in. After their furlow in 1989, Bob and Pat returned to Chiang Mai for their last term. The mission had built a several large houses. Pat didn’t want to live in one because she thought it was too fancy and Karens would not come visit. But they ended up moving in and Pat filled the house with guests from the countryside and overseas. With the kids grown, Pat was able to travel to villages with Bob. Bob and Pat returned to the states in 1995 and moved to Chicago to be near their son Stephen, his wife Kim, and their new twin sons. They became active in Rogers Park Baptist Church and devoted grandparents. In 2000, they moved to Covington, IN to be near their daughter Margaret and her family. They became active in Danville Baptist Church and continued their role as active grandparents and supporters of their sons Scott’s and John’s mission work. In 2007, they moved to Hoosier Village in Indianapolis. A significant draw for them was the newly arriving Karen refugees who were attending First Baptist Church. They quickly joined the church and began ministering, yet again, with the Karens. Pat was active in the church and with the Karens until her health began to fail. Like for too many people, Alzheimer’s disease stole her body and mind. She died peacefully on November 13, 2024. Pat is remembered for her love of Bob, her family, her church and the Karen people.