Austin Brooks Coe

Our dear husband and father, Austin Brooks Coe, passed away peacefully on Sunday morning, October 12, 2014, surrounded by his family, at his home of 41 years in Ventura. During his life, he brought much love, happiness, and support to his family and a wide circle of friends and associates.

Born at home in Bon Air, Pennsylvania, on March 1, 1928, Austin was the third child to parents John Henry Coe, Sr. and Evaline May Ross Coe. The family moved to Wilkinsburg, PA where he grew up, working at his father’s A&P Market, playing the oboe, biking his paper route through the hilly neighborhood, and taking his first job after high school at the Wilkinsburg Bank. Graduating from Wilkinsburg High in 1945, Austin took the college entrance exam, scoring so well he was awarded a scholarship. With additional support from his home church, he was able to attend Bethany College in West Virginia, where he studied for the ministry. Lifetime friendships were forged with his ministerial class and have been the subject of stories for over 65 years! He had a student pastorate in Morristown, Ohio where a local farmer often sent the young minister home with bags of Macintosh apples, engendering his lifelong affection for the variety. In August 1948, he was ordained at the Christian Church of Wilkinsburg, his home church. He earned his Bachelor of Religion in June 1949 from Bethany. Deciding on a progressive and liberal approach to Christian doctrine, Austin attended Union Theological Seminary in NYC, receiving his Bachelor of Divinity in May 1952.

Upon graduation from Union, he was recruited to be the minister at the Disciples of Christ Lakeshore Christian Church in Euclid, Ohio. It was a great fit for a young, dynamic pastor. While growing the young congregation in Euclid, Austin met the love of his life, Mary Jo Thoman. After a romance which involved courting her on his sailboat, they married in her hometown of Warren, Ohio in 1957. His childhood desire to go west became a reality in 1960 when they moved to Southern California to build the Downey Memorial Christian Church, where he served for 13 years. His eldest, Nancy, was born 6 weeks before he and Mary Jo moved to Downey, joyously followed by three more children: Brenda, Martin and Sharon. Southern California was his paradise: sunshine, blue skies and mild days, little rain, perfect sailing out of the Long Beach harbor, family camping, and never shoveling snow. With the Downey church’s beautiful sanctuary erected and the congregation growing, Austin was ready for his next challenge. Always a proponent of higher education, he pursued his Doctor of Religion at Claremont School of Theology, finishing in June 1968.

The Coe family moved to Ventura in November 1973 as Austin took on the pastorate of the First Christian Church. He found Ventura to have an appealing small town, friendly atmosphere. He motivated members of the congregation to reach out and bring people to Christian fellowship, and the church grew quickly. After retiring in December 1984, he served as interim minister with the Ojai First Christian Church and later the Santa Paula Christian Church. The Ventura Downtown Lions Club was a source of enduring friendships and meaningful Club service goals. As a local minister, he helped to advance Project Understanding’s mission. He also volunteered with Food Share and Habitat for Humanity. In retirement, he invested in real estate and enjoyed the challenges of property management, repair of rental units, and the relationships with tenants.

Austin marveled at advances in technology of all kinds and had a passionate interest in what invention was “around the next corner.” He was an avid reader focusing on innovation. He enjoyed most those challenges that required his creativity to solve problems. Because of his heart health issues, he maintained an active interest in cutting edge cardiology research. Always a firm believer in Norman Vincent Peale’s positive thinking and Robert Schuller’s possibility philosophy, “When faced with a mountain, I will not quit!”, Austin loved life immensely.

Austin is survived by his wife, Mary Jo, his children, Nancy Coe, Brenda Coe, Martin Coe and Sharon Coe; his grandchildren, Emily, Grant and Griffin Coe, and his siblings, Virginia Ellis, John Henry Coe, Jr. and sister-in-law Irene, Joan Dean and brother-in-law Bill, and 12 nieces and nephews. A celebration of Austin’s life will be held on Sunday, November 16, 2014 at 1:30 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church at 1338 East Santa Clara in Ventura, California. Memorial contributions may be made in Austin’s name for academic scholarships to the Bethany College Fund at Bethany College, Bethany, WV 26032, or to Good Samaritan Hospital’s Heart and Vascular Center at www.goodsam.org/giving, Good Samaritan Fund Development, 1225 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90017.

Arrangements were entrusted to the care of Charles Carroll Funeral Home, 15 Teloma Drive, Ventura, 805-642-8134.

Arrangements under the direction of Charles Carroll Funeral Home, Ventura, CA.