Charlotte Watson Coiner

Charlotte “Scharlie” Watson Coiner, 84, died on December 22, 2024. She was born to Irene “Reenie” Turner Jones and Major Samuel Edward Jones (USMA ’31) in Manila, Philippine Islands, in 1940. She, her mother, and her sister Judy, were evacuated from the Philippines because of the threat of war and went to San Francisco to live with her grandparents. Her father remained in Manila, and was killed in action in Bataan in 1942. The family then moved to San Antonio, where her mother later married Joseph “Mac” McCord Watson, the man who raised her.

Scharlie graduated from Alamo Heights High School, attended Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and graduated from the University of Tulsa with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and History. She was presented as a German Club Debutante and Order of the Alamo Duchess in 1962. Scharlie taught English at Mark Twain until 1969. She was a board member at St. Mary’s Hall, a docent at The McNay, and sat on the advisory boards of The Metropolitan Hospital and the Harry Jersig Speech and Learning Center. In 1993, she served as Mistress of the Robes for the Order of the Alamo for The Court of the Napoleonic Empire: an honor she greatly enjoyed and remembered fondly. In addition, she was a member of the San Antonio Country Club, the Argyle, Club Giraud, the Junior League of San Antonio, the Assembly, and the Battle of Flowers Association.

Scharlie lived in San Antonio all of her life. In 1966, she married Richard “Dick” T. Coiner III. She and Dick loved to hunt and fish and spent many happy times with friends and family in Port Aransas and South Texas hunting deer, dove, and quail. Her most enjoyable moments were with her family at the hunting lease (Camp Squalor) in Cotulla, Texas, and at the farm in Fredericksburg. She was a great shot, especially with a shotgun- winning the Harry Jersig shoot one year. She was a Life Member at San Antonio Gun Club, where she shot for many years.

Her additional interests included reading, mostly biographies, listening to music, and conservative Republican politics. She kept up with her lifelong girlfriends, whom she talked to frequently and met for regular lunches.

Scharlie was a talented artist. She could draw and watercolor, and most notably, she carved linoleum block wildlife prints (Linocut), which, for at least 20 years, she sent out as Christmas cards to friends and family. She loved creating prints of different flora and fauna every year and started the summer before, taking over the dining room and getting them ready to mail for Christmas.

She is survived by her children, Catherine “Kate” Coiner Park (John), and Richard T. Coiner IV (Lorissa); grandsons, John C. Park, Jr., Nix Lanier Park, and Richard “Cinco” T. Coiner V; sisters Judith Watson Saunders and Penelope Watson Turner (Whit); sisters in law, Anne T. Coiner and Kathleen M. Coiner; nieces and nephews, Leslie Saunders Reagan (Rocky), Ridge Turner (Jessica), Alexandra Turner Tulik (Peter), Emily Coiner Foster (Trey) and Josie Coiner Dorris (Taylor).

She was preceded in death by her husband of forty years, Richard “Dick” Tide Coiner III; mother, Irene Turner Watson; stepfather, Joseph McCord “Mac” Watson, Jr.; father, Samuel E. Jones; brothers-in-law, Beverly Nix Coiner, William Lanier Coiner, and John “Jack” W. Saunders; and nephew, Beverly Nix Coiner, Jr.

Honorary pallbearers are John B. Lupe, John K. Matthews, James E. Satel, Steve Sinclair, Charles L. Jeffers, Harry S. Affleck, and George “Timo” S. Hixon; her grandsons, John C. Park, Jr., Nix Lanier Park, and Richard “Cinco” T. Coiner V. Kate and Richard would like to thank the caring staff at Colonial Gardens in Oakwell Farms and the Forum for their care. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to txbiomed.org or the charity of your choice.