Robert "Spott" Coats

Robert Russell “Spott” Coats, 77, of Newberry, widower of Nancy Chappell Coats, died Tuesday, June 3, 2014, at Newberry County Memorial Hospital.

Born on November 13, 1936, in Georgia, he was a son of the late Owen Coats and Vera Hatcher Coats Rister. Mr. Coats served as a dog trainer in the U.S. Army and was retired from the Life of Virginia and Liberty Life Insurance Companies. He was a member of Mayer Memorial Lutheran Church where he served on the church council. He was currently working as a bailiff at the Newberry County Court House, was a volunteer at Newberry County Memorial Hospital and was serving on the board of trustees for the Newberry County Memorial Hospital. Mr. Coats served on the Newberry City Council for twenty years and was Mayor Pro Tempore and had served on the Newberry Gas Authority board of directors. He was a former member of the Newberry Jaycees of which he was a past chairman and was elected Jaycee of the Year twice.

Mr. Coats was a member of S.C.L.G.A.G. Board of Trustees, member of the Outstanding Young Men of America, member and former chairman of The Junior Chamber of Commerce, member and former chairman of the Central Midlands Regional Council. He coached little league baseball and had a great part in getting the J.D. Rook ball field built.

He is survived by a daughter, Karen (Jerry) Kinard of Newberry; a son, Bobby (Angela) Coats of Newberry; grandchildren, William Jerry Kinard, Lisa Marie Ellis, Robert Keith Kinard, Kim Coats and Christy Coats and seven great-grandchildren. Mr. Coats was predeceased by his step-father, Herber Rister, sisters, Edna Moore and Frances Gilliam and brother, Buddy Coats.

Funeral services will be held at 3:00 pm Thursday, June 5, 2014, at Mayer Memorial Lutheran Church by the Rev. Dr. Mary Havens and Vicar Joshua Morgan. Burial will follow in Newberry Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be Wednesday from 6:00 – 8:00 pm at McSwain-Evans Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to Mayer Memorial Lutheran Church Memorial Fund, 1307 Drayton Street, Newberry, SC 29108 or the Newberry Hospital Volunteers, 2669 Kinard Street, Newberry, SC 29108.

Active pallbearers will be William Kinard, Arnold Hiller, Melvin Price, Butch Price, Jimmie Harmon and Jimmy Bickley.

Honorary pallbearers will be Dr. Alan Paysinger, Dr. Thomas Bradberry, Dr. Mark Davis, Angela Bowers and the volunteers at Newberry County Memorial Hospital, nurses on the third floor and ICU of Newberry County Memorial Hospital, Jackie Bowers and Beth Folk.

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