George Edward Coleman Jr.

George Edward Coleman, Jr., husband of Harriette Russell Coleman and father of Courtney Coleman, Edward Coleman, and Sarah Lyle Coleman Dampoux, passed away on the morning of November 4, 2026, at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis.

George was born on September 14, 1945, in Memphis and raised in Corinth, Mississippi. He graduated from Corinth High School with the class of 1963, where he excelled in sports, served as co-editor of the high school yearbook, and, in his senior year, was elected Boys State Governor of Mississippi.

He attended Vanderbilt University for one year before graduating from the University of Mississippi in 1967. He was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity at both universities and cherished the friendships he made at each, as well as across the state of Mississippi, for the rest of his life.

After graduation, George returned to Corinth, where he served as president of the administrative board of First United Methodist Church, president of the Chamber of Commerce, and president of the Rotary Club. For 15 years, he also proudly coached the Rotary Club YMCA Little League baseball team, forming lasting friendships with many of his players.

At age 23, George became the youngest Ford-Lincoln-Mercury dealer in America. His mentor in that endeavor was Memphis car dealer Charles Reed, with whom George maintained a special friendship throughout the years.

From childhood on, George enjoyed nearby Pickwick Lake, boating along the rocky banks of the Tennessee River, fly fishing, and listening to the tall tales of the fishermen who worked the waters with their trotlines and rods and cooked fish fries for the locals.

George's knowledge of Tennessee River Basin waterways was encyclopedic. He founded Greenwater Marina and Coleman Marine, as well as a Pickwick tour service featuring a vintage Chris Craft boat named Chief.

George also founded the original Maytag Laundromat in Counce, Tennessee, and developed the concept for and helped operate the Shackleford Pet Cemetery in Savannah, Tennessee.

After their marriage in 1988, George and Harriette made their home in Memphis while maintaining a cabin at Pickwick, "Greenwater," which was enjoyed by many family and friends. They moved to Pickwick full time in 2004, returned to Memphis in 2014, and made their home at Trezevant Terrace beginning in 2024.

In Memphis, George was a member of Christ Methodist Church and Germantown Presbyterian Church and was an active member of Idlewild Presbyterian Church at the time of his death.

George wished to express his gratitude to Antonio Nunley, as well as all those who assisted him during his time at Trezevant, including Janie Jones, Pat Summerall, Carol Cook, Bernice Terry, Natasha Nelson, and Quention Watson.

George is survived by his wife, Harriette Russell Coleman; his children, Courtney Elizabeth Coleman of New Orleans; George Edward Coleman III (Jennifer) of Wilmington, NC; Sarah Lyle Coleman Dampoux (Emmanuel) of Versailles, France; Joanna Flinn Goodin (Mark) of McLean, VA; and George Shea Flinn III (Amy) of Memphis; his grandchildren, George Edward Coleman IV (Mackenzie) and Frances Elizabeth Coleman of Wilmington, NC; Emma-Lyle Dampoux, Louis-Georges Dampoux, and Honoré Dampoux of Versailles, France; Catherine Joanna Goodin and Eleanor Shea Goodin of McLean, VA; and George Shea Flinn IV of Memphis; his great-grandchild, Corinth King Coleman of Wilmington, NC; his brother, Joe Price Coleman (Meredith) of Asheville, NC; his sister, Rebecca Coleman Phipps (Leslie) of Corinth; his former wife, Elizabeth Ray Hussey of Taylor, MS; and many beloved nieces and nephews.

George was predeceased by his parents, George Edward Coleman, Sr., and Sarah Wallace Coleman, and his brother, Michael Wallace Coleman.

Service to be held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, November 9, at Idlewild Presbyterian Church, followed by burial at Elmwood Cemetery.

Memorial gifts may be made to Idlewild Presbyterian Church or a charity of the donor’s choice.