Billie Ann Easley Coates

CHARLOTTE- Billie Ann Easley Coates, 85, of Greensburg, Indiana passed away gracefully with her daughter Paige by her side on Saturday, October 15, 2022. Born March 2, 1937, she was the daughter of the late Walter Daniel Easley and Carolyn Elizabeth “Betty” Hill Easley.

Billie graduated from Lynch High School in Lynch, Kentucky in Harlan County. Her utmost joy was being a member of the school’s Varsity cheerleading squad called “The Barking Dogs” with four of her best friends. They led the Pep Rallies for the Lynch Bulldog Football team. Standing 5’8’’ tall with brown hair and green eyes, she was elected into the Lynch High School Hall of Fame due to her loyalty to the Bull Dogs and her presence at the other Lynch High School events such as being the advertising manager for the school newspaper called the Lynch High-Light, a member of the Glee Club, the Future Nurses Club, and the Speech Club. In later years, she got so excited to return to Lynch, KY for the Lynch High School Reunions held in the original Lynch High School every October.

After graduating, Billie began work at the Hecht Company in Washington, D.C as a buyer's receptionist. This is where she met her husband James “Jim” Redman Coates, and her best friend Joan Beard (who currently lives in South Dakota), who were both Buyers for Hecht’s. After marrying Jim on January 25, 1958 at the Arlington Methodist Church, they moved to Arlington, VA when they decided to adopt their only child, Paige at the age of 3 months.

The family moved to Maryland in 1979. Billie was happy wherever she lived and often said “I will bloom where I am planted”! There she became a receptionist for Alan and Lois Elkin who owned Advance Business Systems in Cockeysville, Maryland. During her off time, she would spend it with friends going yard sale shopping and was thrilled when an old Bank on York Road was sold,renovated and renamed the Cockeysville Exchange. A consignment shop like no other that actually displayed all of the consigned furs only in the open vault! Billie worked at Advance until 2007, when she and Jim moved to Charlotte, NC to be closer to Paige and her family.

Billie loved her church family. She was active in the ASP Project and many other church activities. She loved playing Bunko with the church ladies and the neighbors and enjoyed going to the theater often. She was an avid reader and loved to dress nicely, especially when it came to her accessories of jewelry, hats and gloves! Billie also loved to dance and was very fond of country music. Christmas was her absolute favorite holiday during the year. Also, watching and supporting Kentucky Basketball was prominent in her life. She read her annual Kentucky Basketball Yearbook called “The Cats Paw” faithfully and commented light-hardedly often that her blood ran blue! She especially cherished watching Kentucky Derby’s with a handmade mint julep in her hand, while tearing up and singing, “My Ole Kentucky Home!”

The joy of Billie’s life was her family. She was a devoted wife of 54 years, mother, grandmother and aunt. She is survived by her only child, Paige Coates Hamilton of Charlotte, and her only grandson Matthew Beecroft Hamilton, Jr. “Croft”, of Brevard, NC. She is preceded in death by her husband, parents and brother Daniel Easley of Indiana.

A service to celebrate Billie’s beautiful life will be held October 27, 2022 at 2:00PM at Avondale Presbyterian Church, 2821 Park Road, Charlotte, NC 28209. The family will receive friends at a reception in the church’s Family Life Center after the service.

For those wishing to send memorial gifts, please consider the American Cancer Society of Charlotte (https://donate3.cancer.org).

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.McEwenPinevilleChapel.com for the Coates family.