Francis Coe Obituary (1929

Francis Coe was born to Mary Ethel Gordon, a maid in the West End, and Alfred Edward Coe, a master machinist, in Greenock, Scotland, in the year 1929. He was the third of ten children. He often said what a rich life he had been privileged to enjoy, having begun in the era of gaslights and then seeing all the changes in both his homeland and in his second home, the United States of America, throughout the twentieth century. Frankie, or "Freckles" as he was affectionately known as a young boy, had a very short childhood, as Scotland was involved in the war in 1939 when he was only ten years of age. He, as well as those of his brothers and sisters who were old enough, was required to help with day-to-day living during those war years. Frank would often work in the fields, digging up potatoes, and instead of wages, would receive enough potatoes to feed his family a meal. He was in wonder of everything around him and really didn't understand when the war came very close to him and that his hometown was being bombed. He remembered going into the air raid shelter when the warning started, and when they were allowed out, seeing entire blocks of flattened rubble where there had been houses as well as children with whom he was friends lying dead. At one point, the bombing was so severe that the children in Scotland were all sent to the countryside, and Frank was separated from his family for several months. A headmaster and his wife took Frank in at their home. They had an extensive library where he would spend hours alone with the books. That was where Frank developed his lifelong love of books and thirst for knowledge. When the war was over and the family was reunited, Frank worked part-time jobs as well as going to school. He worked as an usher in a movie theater and as a butcher boy in a butcher shop. Having finished high school at 13-1/2 years of age, his family was not prosperous enough to send him on to college, so it was decided by his father that he would be an apprentice joiner (carpenter) in spite of the promise he was showing as a jockey. His father's word was final, and he did not feel that horse racing was a worthwhile ambition. He felt that his son needed a trade and so he became an apprentice joiner, working for the Corporation of Scotland. At the age of 18, he was enlisted in Her Majesty's Army and, because of his love of animals, was chosen to train guard dogs for an ammunition depot in Malaysia. After 2-1/2 years of service, he returned to Scotland, but was a restless young man. He had watched many movies in his early career as a movie theater usher, one of which was the American musical film "Oklahoma." He really believed that was the way life in the United States was and decided he needed to see it for himself. He worked as a joiner, saving his money for the trip across the water (flying was too expensive in those days) and was in contact with a family in Ohio who planned to sponsor him upon his arrival. In order to be allowed into the U.S., Frank needed to have a sponsor who would provide him with a means to earn a living for 2 years. Frank worked on the family's farm in exchange for room and board. His first years in America were sometimes painful. People often teased him about his broad brogue and about his use of Scottish words which were often found quite comical. Although he tried to be good-natured about the teasing, it bothered him enough that he almost completely lost his Scottish brogue over the years. After his 2 years of sponsorship were complete, Frank became a citizen of the United States without being required to give up his Scottish citizenship, thus allowing him to be what is known as a dual national. Frank's working life was varied. He farmed for a while, was employed as a natural gas serviceman, worked as an x-ray technician, later worked in a university and earned a degree as an animal technician, working in hyperbaric medicine research. He met and married his wife, Janice, in Seattle, Washington, and they moved to the Kitsap Peninsula where they had a son, Adam Francis. They lived in a number of different homes, renovating each and moving on until Frank's last work on a 1910 farm house that he completely renovated where they lived at the time of his passing in Poulsbo. Frank will probably be best remembered for his sense of humor and his ability to make people smile. As an example, when asked to give his full name, he said, "Francis Coe. No middle name. My family was too poor." On being told of his passing, his sister, Bridget, said, "He was an ornery rascal, wasn't he?" He never had a bad thing to say about another person and was a positive influence on those around him. He felt himself to have a very full life and to be very rich in love. He often said, especially when referring to his adored son, "What more could a man ask for?" Frank is survived by his loving wife, Janice, and his much-loved son, Adam. He has 5 living siblings: Alfie Coe, his older brother, of Australia; Bridget Irby of Florida; Margaret Figge of Florida; Mary Bassler of Florida; and Cathie Darakjian of California, as well as nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, and grand-nephews all over the world. Beloved husband, father and friend, You will be missed, Fare thee well, Frankie