Charles Harold Coker passed away on Jan. 29, 2016, at home in Hollywood, Florida in the company of good friends after a long battle with COPD at 59 years old.
He was born to Willard Watson Coker and Jacqueline in Paris, Tennessee. He was a special person and a beloved brother to his brothers and sister.
Charlie grew up with a love for the outdoors and spent a lot of time in the woods with his brothers and friends. He was also a Boy Scout for a while.
Charlie had an amazing intellect and patience to deal with people that were not so blessed. He made friends easily when he wanted to and all came to love him as a special friend.
He had a love for music and cinema and could quote script from movies and tell you the cast. He had a talent playing guitar even though he didn’t practice! He could just pick it up after months of not playing and play.
Charlie was a master art framer. He had a knack for matching styles and colors for expensive art work in the galleries of South Florida. His customers were from all over the world and would bring special works just for him to frame. They asked for him by name using only his first name, Charlie. A truly gifted artist and he still had all of his fingers after using high speed saws for many years. He was proud of that.
Charlie had a love for animals and was known to adopt strays and find homes for them throughout his adult life.
Charlie loved fishing and that is what drew him to South Florida where he worked in Key West for many years, after attending high school at Bradshaw in Florence, Alabama, as a boat mate and guide assistant to many clients from all over the world. His expertise in tying knots was dumbfounding and David says he often had his fingers tangled up trying to teach him a favorite.
He visited his brother, David, in Alaska many times and had a ball catching salmon and trout. Although he did not like flying in David’s airplane, he would do it anyway just to say he did it!
Charlie eventually moved north to Hollywood, Florida and settled into a routine of work and leisure until his battle with COPD slowed him down. He had many friends who loved him and he will be missed by all.
Charlie was preceded in death by his mother, Jacqueline Coker.
He is survived by his brothers, Tim and David Coker; sister, Lisa Loggins Thigpen, and brother-in-law, Billy Thigpen; father, Will W. Coker; and stepmother, Katie; also stepsister, Karen and husband, Marvin Gruber.
No services have been planned at this time.
