Obituary
David Aaron Coats (71) of Ormond Beach, Florida, passed away peacefully in Halifax Health Hospice, Ormond Beach, Florida, on Thursday, July 7, 2022. He was born May 28, 1951, in Twin Falls, Idaho to Bettye L. Heffley and Franklin E. Coats.
David grew up in a dairy farming family, bucking hay, building irrigation canals, and could take just about anything apart and put it back together to make it work. From his parents, he learned to help his neighbors and to stand up for others. David never met a stranger and was kind and generous to his many friends and customers. He was a player of tennis, billiards, poker, and chess, and loved to travel and talk, telling stories and jokes.
David attended high school in Filer, Idaho, and participated in youth activities in the Mormon church. As a young adult, he stayed by his mother’s side in the hospital as she recovered from a serious car accident. He earned a BS degree in Political Science from the University of Oregon, working his way through to pay for school. He and his wife lived in Salt Lake City after college, where he worked in real estate and was known as Aaron because of multiple Davids in the office. Single again, he returned home to help care for his father.
David then moved to Asheville, North Carolina, where he had friends, and stayed with Mrs. Ann Morgan, who took him in like a son. He married Mitzi J. Johnson in 1988, and they moved to Ormond Beach, Florida where they worked for themselves as Coats Sales at the Daytona Flea and Farmers Market for over twenty years. He also operated Aaron’s Carpet Cleaning until his retirement after hip surgery. He dealt with many health issues with few complaints and valiantly fought cancer for the last two years.
David is survived by Mitzi J. Coats, his sisters, Judy Hoffman, Joyce Moore (Tom), and Deirdre Burgess (Judy) and their extended families, and Miss April, David and Mitzi’s cat, who misses his lap. The family would like to thank his doctors who did their best for him. He did not wish for a service; his ashes will be returned to Idaho. Remembrances may be shared at Baldwin Brothers Funeral and Cremation Society of Ormond Beach, FL. Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society and the American Diabetes Association.
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