Coy Gene Hearin

Born in Pawhuska, Oklahoma on April 26, 1930, he was the second child of Ervin Lewis Hearin and Ethel May Adams (Hearin). Coy graduated from Shawnee High School and attended Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee for two years studying for a music degree in choral music.

He married Dorothy Marie Cottrell before he enlisted in the Navy where he received training as a radar operator. After his training, he was sent to Port Hueneme, California, where he was assigned to the USS Onslow (AVP-48), a sea plane tender. The Onslow was stationed in Japan in support of the Korean Conflict. He was later assigned to the USS Norton Sound (AVM-1), a missile-launching platform still based in Port Hueneme, where they had their first child, Linda. During his service, he was awarded the Navy Good Conduct medal, the National Defense Medal, the Korean Service Medal and the United Nations Service Medal.

He finished his time in the Navy and moved back to Shawnee, where their second child, Larry, was born just a year and six days after Linda. It wasn't long before the family moved to Texarkana, Texas, and began what would be a series of moves around the state. Coy was a retail shoe salesman who worked for a couple of different companies, including Famous Brands in Tyler, Texas where he managed the store for five years. In 1962, he took a job as an assistant manager for a retail variety store with a company called Perry Brothers. It was commonly called a dime store and the owners believed in having their assistant managers work under different managers, so they sent Coy to the Port Lavaca store in South Texas where Coy had to commute 16 miles every day from the tiny town of Lolita. Eight years after Larry was born, Coy became a father for the third time, when his daughter Lou Ann was born. He was transferred again, this time to Floydada, a town in west Texas. In 1966, he was sent to manage a brand-new store being built in Liberty in southeast Texas. He managed that store for 15 years. He then became a buyer for the company in late 1981 which necessitated one more move, to company headquarters which was in Lufkin in east Texas. He retired from Perry's in 1995 and moved to Pflugerville in central Texas to be near children and grandchildren.

Coy lived in many different places during his life, but in every place he lived, he found ways to be a faithful member of the local Southern Baptist church and used his God-given talent for singing and directing music, whether it was the whole church music ministry, kid’s choir or whatever Sunday School department he was in. He served as music director in Baptist churches in smaller towns near where he lived such as Turnertown, when he lived in Tyler and Hardin, when he lived in Liberty. Coy directed the Singing Saints senior adult choir at the First Baptist Church in Pflugerville for many years. He was also an active deacon at the FBC Pflugerville and really enjoyed serving the church members that were in his care. He was very active member of the Lion's Club for many years especially during their yearly campaign benefiting The Lighthouse for the Blind organization. He served as president of the Lion’s Club in Liberty, Texas in 1974 and later as Zone Chairman for District 2-S2. He even worked in the concession stand sponsored by the Lion's Club at local football games. In later years, he worked with Texas Baptist Men, traveling and building furniture for Baptist encampments. He was glad to be able to serve wherever he was needed.

Coy loved sports, both playing and watching. He was a left-handed fast-pitch softball pitcher which made him a welcome addition to teams in the Navy and afterwards in church leagues and other local teams. He also loved playing golf and even served as a marshal, enforcing the rules out on the course at Star Ranch from the time it opened and for the next twenty-plus years. He won a number of golfing trophies over the many years that he played. He was also an avid bowler playing in league bowling until he was 94 or 95, He also enjoyed watching football and any other sports he could find on ESPN or regular network television on Saturday or Sunday afternoons.

Coy was preceded in death by his parents Ervin Lewis Hearin and Ethel May (Adams) Hearin and his older sister Vera Lorene (Hearin) Wilson and his beloved wife of almost 75 years Dorothy Marie (Cottrell) Hearin. He is survived by his daughter Linda Sue Staph (Dana), son Larry Gene (Deb) and daughter Lou Ann Hogan (Mike).

He is also survived by seven grandchildren; Rachel Marie Busbee (Collin), James Andrew Hearin, Caleb Eugene Staph, Austin Michael Hogan (Autumn), Callie Marie Hearin, Hunter Gerard Hearin Hogan and Lauralyn Faith Crow (Asa). Coy was also blessed to have five great-grandchildren; Juliette, James, Benjamin, Preston and Ann.

Coy Gene Hearin will be honored at a memorial service on October 17th at First Baptist Church Pflugerville, 306 10th St, Pflugerville, TX 78660 at 1:00 p.m.