Obituary of George Mark Coats

George Mark Coats, age 96, passed away on August 23, 2021, at Watercrest Buena Vista, in The Villages, FL after several months of declining health. He was born in Newark, NJ.

In his earlier years, George became an Eagle Scout and earned many badges. After high school, he enlisted in the army and trained for the Army Air Corps. Upon his discharge when WWII ended, he attended Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey graduating with a degree in Engineering.

George spent 33 years working at Exxon before retiring in 1984. Highlighting his many accomplishments while at Exxon was his development of the High Intensity Fired Heater and he also held four US patents for this work there. Because of his extensive knowledge in the heat transfer field, he and his family lived in pre-Castro Cuba, Malaysia, Greece, London, and Aruba during his working career.

Upon retirement, he and his wife moved to Hobe Sound, FL where they lived prior to moving to Spruce Creek in Summerfield, FL where they lived for 17 years.

George was an avid fisherman and enjoyed many hours with his brother, Glenn, trout and deep sea fishing both in New Jersey and Florida. To improve his health, he began long-distance running while still working. He excelled in marathons having participated in the Philadelphia, Boston, and New York Marathons. While living in Aruba, he was asked to represent Aruba in the 50 plus age category marathon held in Venezuela, which he won.

In retirement, George and his wife Sonja enjoyed playing golf in Florida and throughout the Southeast. After studying “poker”, George became an excellent player and was known as “King George” to his good friends and poker buddies at Spruce Creek.

George is survived by Sonja, his wife of 71 years; his daughter Cindy (Tommy) Sasser; granddaughters Katherine (Harrison) Fay, Christine (Alex) Holland; brother Glenn (Rachel) Coats; sister Kay Macrea; nieces, nephews, and great granddaughter Holly Fay; and dear family friend, Donna Dawson. He was preceded in death by his son, Kevin, and brother-in-law, Walter Macrae.

Funeral services were held on September 1, 2021 at the Hiers-Baxley Funeral Home in The Villages, FL followed by burial at Highland Memorial Park in Ocala. Donations in his name can be made to the American Heart Association.