Ray Coleman, born July 21, 1926, a retired educator, passed away March 12, 2015, in McKinney, Texas. Ray was born in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, to George F. and Margaret (Hill) Coleman. He married Betty J. Bell on November 9, 1945, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Ray proudly served in the United States Army Infantry in the European Theater during World War II and was awarded the Expert Infantryman Badge. After military service, he served in an exemplary manner in the Chattanooga school system as a teacher; highly successful junior and senior high school coach; Principal of Brainerd and Kirkman High Schools; and a member of the central office staff. Ray served as Dean and President of Cleveland State Community College before retiring in 1988.
He is survived by his wife of sixty-nine years, Betty J. Coleman of McKinney, Texas; daughter, Christine Coleman of Denver, Colorado; son, Steve Coleman and wife, Jackie of Van Alstyne, Texas; and grandchildren, Katherine Stone and husband, Tobey of Fort Worth, Texas and Jessica Scogin of Greenville, Texas.
He was preceded in death by his parents and brothers, Billy Coleman and Richard Coleman.
A graveside service will be held at 10:15 a.m., on Tuesday, March 17, 2015, at Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery in Dallas, Texas. The family will receive friends during a visitation from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Monday, at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home in Allen, Texas.