Nancy Jane Johnson Coates, Ph.D.

Nancy Jane Johnson Coates, Ph.D.

10 Nov 1934 – 27 Nov 2019

Nancy Jane (Johnson) Coates, 85, passed to her eternal home on November 27, 2019, from complications resulting from Alzheimer’s. A Professor at Abilene Christian University from 1972 - 1993, Jane and her husband Edward E. Coates moved to Abilene to teach in the Education Department where they shared an office suite until Jane’s retirement. They were married for 54 years. Jane was a lifelong member of the Church of Christ and had been active for years with congregations in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Texas where her husband had served as a minister. A memorial service to honor Jane will be held 10 a.m., Dec. 24 at Piersall Funeral Chapel, 733 Butternut St., Abilene, Texas, under the direction of Piersall Funeral Directors. The private burial service for family will be at Buffalo Gap Cemetery, where she will be laid to rest next to her husband.

Born in Paducah, Kentucky, November 10, 1934, to Nathan Calhoun Johnson and Dimple Lee Jones Johnson, Jane moved with her family back to the Johnson homeplace in West Tennessee following the great Paducah flood of 1937. Coates worked with her parents on their farm near the community of Glass, outside of Obion, Tenn., where she attended elementary, junior, and senior high school. She became Obion High School Valedictorian in 1952.

Coates met her future husband Ed during the Freshman Class welcome picnic at David Lipscomb College (now University) in Nashville, Tenn. Jane worked for the College Bursar and married Ed in 1954 following their Sophomore year. The first of their children, Nathan, was born while they lived in Kenton, Tenn. Upon Ed’s graduation from Lipscomb, he and Jane moved to Balmorhea, Texas, where Ed served as high school principal, coached six man football, and preached at Sanderson Church of Christ. While living in Balmorhea, their only daughter Nancy was born. Jane, Ed and family returned to Tennessee after a year in Texas, and while working with the Church of Christ in Greenfield, their son Nick was born. Upon moving to Murfreesboro, Tenn., their fourth child Nelson was born. Ed completed his Master’s degree while preaching at North Blvd. Church of Christ, and Jane completed her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education at Middle Tennessee State College (now University) in 1963. In 1964, the family moved to Knoxville, Tenn. for Ed to do his doctoral work at the University of Tennessee, and there they welcomed their fifth child Neal. Ed served as pulpit minister for West End Church of Christ. He and Jane helped to found what would become Knoxville Christian Schools. Jane served as the school’s first teacher.

In 1970 the Coates moved to Morehead, Kentucky, where Ed took a position at Morehead State University. While in Morehead, Jane completed her Master’s in Early Childhood Education in 1972. In the summer of 1972, Ed and Jane accepted teaching positions at Abilene Christian College (now University) and moved the family to Abilene, Texas, where they would teach for 35 and 21 years respectively. Jane began and designed the ACU Kindergarten and the Early Childhood Endorsement classes for teachers. She received her doctorate in Early Childhood Education and Curriculum in 1985 from Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas.

Jane taught in Greece in 1982, was named a Texas Sesquicentennial Women’s Scholar in 1986, and taught in Honduras in 1988. She was a Certified Family Life Educator, on the National Council on Family Relations, and served as the Chair of the Abilene Teachers Center. Coates began the ACU Education Endowed Scholarship program. Jane also was a featured speaker at the American Medical Association and authored Crosscuts, the pre-kindergarten curriculum adopted by the Texas Education Agency and the State Board of Education. Coates was a charter Board member of the Big Country Association for the Education of Young Children, and in 1988 was awarded the Abilene City Council PTA Advocate for Children Award.

Ed and Jane would frequently take their family to camp in Cades Cove in the Smoky Mountains National Park, as well as many camping trips to Huntington Beach, S.C., the Florida Keys, and across Texas. Through their church life, camping trips, traveling in the U.S., and many museum explorations, they instilled in their children a love of people, history, service, nature, and all of God’s creations.

Jane is survived by her daughter-in-law Joy Coates of Cleveland, North Carolina, daughter Nancy (and Dave) Penney of Missouri City, Texas, son Nick (and Marilyn) Coates of Abilene, son Nelson Coates of Los Angeles, and son Neal (and Cynthia) Coates of Abilene. In addition, she is survived by 17 grandchildren, 3 step grandchildren, and 22 great-grandchildren.

Coates was preceded in death by her husband Ed, her parents Nathan Calhoun and Dimple Johnson, her brother Nathan Calhoun Johnson, Jr., her sister Ann Marshall Johnson Reeves, her son Nathan Coates, and grandsons Isaac Coates and Samuel Coates.

Jane’s family expresses their sincere thanks to the outstanding care provided by Home Instead and Bera Sue Blasingame, Lyndale Senior Care, Hendrick Hospice Care, Brightpointe at Lytle Lake, and Dr. Anton Melnick. Special thanks to Dr. Joseph Crumbliss and his wife Mary, for many years of excellent care and great friendship. In addition, several friends have gone out of their way to assist Jane throughout the last several years of her life. Thank you to Marian Rowe, Wanda Bradford, Marla Potess, Francille and Louis Vesel and Titus, Charles and Bonnie Shepherd, Charlie and Peggy Marler, Adria Kastner, Donnie Vogler, Jan Zrzavy, the late Clyde Austin, Dr. Mark Leavell, Deborah Ellingwood, and Robin McAnaney.

Memorials may be made to the Drs. Edward and Jane Coates Endowed Scholarship (at Abilene Christian University, P.O. Box 29132, Abilene, Texas 79699).