Edward Robert Coleman

Edward Robert Coleman, aeronautical engineer, nature lover and intellectual, died October 23 of non-smoker’s lung cancer. He was 79. He died at home, surrounded by family and friends, at exactly the time of a partial solar eclipse - a passage he would have appreciated because of his fascination with outer space.

He was born Feb. 24, 1935, in Detroit, Mich., to Edward Alfred Coleman and June Coleman. He attended Detroit public schools, where he excelled academically. He earned an undergraduate degree in aerospace engineering at Wayne State University, then a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Michigan.

His first job was as a newspaper delivery boy. After college he worked at Chrysler Missile, Bendix Systems Division, Conductron Corporation and Tracor Inc., which later became BAE Systems. Much of his career was spent focused on designing chaff, tiny metallic shards shot out of planes, ships and rockets to scramble radar tracking systems.

Family and friends called him Big Ed because of his stature and personality. He was one of the good guys. A sense of honesty and fairness were hallmarks of his life, and he made it a point to give credit where it was due. He believed that we all have a responsibility to stay informed and involved in our community, and was annoyed that he didn’t get to vote this election day.

He had an inquisitive mind. He loved exploring the world, firing off letters to politicians, whether he agreed with them or not, and debating climate change, armed with scientific facts. He held a sense of wonder and appreciation for nature that he passed on to his children.

One of the few things he didn’t love was cooked carrots. He liked sipping coffee and watching the birds as the sun rose. He loved gardening and devising ways to fend off the deer, who treated his yard as a salad bar. He loved boiled shrimp and crab, and swooned for Twizzlers. Most of all he loved his family.

Coleman was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife Diane, their daughters Angela Marie (and John) Pierce of Denver; Nancy Allison (and Brad) Purifoy of Colleyville; Pamela Ann (and Chris) LeBlanc of Austin; Lisa Kay Huddleston of Rockwall, Texas, and Katherine Young (and Charles) Quinn of Austin; grandchildren Austin and Sydney Peveler and Lauren, Colin and Hayden Quinn; his former wife Mary Louise Coleman of South Haven, Mich.; two sisters, Joan (and Tom) MacFarland and Lynda (and Hans) Neuroth of Michigan; nieces Heidi (and Andreas) Koese, Heather (and Eric) Siersma; and nephews Peter Neuroth and Scott MacFarland.