Obituary
Robert I. Coleman, Jr. ‘51
Robert Irvine Coleman, Jr. died on Thursday, October 26, 2023. He was 95
years old, and was a resident of Orlando, Florida.
Bob was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, on September 26, 1928, son of
the late Robert Irvine Coleman and Kathryn Stoker Coleman. He attended
high school at The Bullis School in Silver Spring, Maryland. He received a
Congressional appointment from Connecticut and entered the United
States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland in July 1947 with the Class of
1951. Bob’s father was USNA Class of 1925, and his grandson, Robert I.
Coleman, IV., was USNA Class of 2018.
Upon graduation Bob was assigned to U.S.S. ABBOT (DD-629) based in
Newport RI, with tours to the Caribbean and Mediterranean. In September
1952 he entered flight training at Pensacola, FL. From the fall of 1953
until June 1955, he was Operations Officer of U.S.S. DIACHENKO
(APD-123) based in San Diego, CA and served in the Korean War Theater,
as well as many other areas of the Far East, including being on the last
Navy ship to leave Haiphong, Viet Nam, as the Communists took over the
northern part of that country in 1955.
Bob resigned from the Navy in June 1955, and was employed in the
engineering department of the Southern New England Telephone Co., New
Haven, CT, until 1963 and with Southern Bell Telephone Co. (Bell South) in
Orlando until 1966. From 1966 until he retired in 1990, he was a financial
consultant with Shearson and succeeding firms in Orlando and Winter
Park, FL, becoming a Vice President.
Bob was a co-founder of the Central Florida chapter of the USNA Alumni
Association in 1966, its second president, and was active for many years.
He was also a member of the Winter Park Racquet Club, the University
Club of Winter Park, President of the Whispering Waters Association,
Board member of the Sky Valley (GA) Association, where he and his wife
owned a summer home for many years, Chairman of the Residents
Council of Village on the Green, and Chairman of the Brede-Wilkins
Scholarship Fund, Longwood, FL.
He is survived by his wife of 42 years, the former Diana Gould Penney, of
Orlando, Florida, and the children of his first wife Patsy Gilbert, of Stonewall, Mississippi; Robin Stout (Richard) and Jennifer Herod(Raymond), both of Lake Mary, Florida, Robert III (Deborah) of Lake Mary,
Florida, and David II (Katherine), of Jupiter, Florida, nine grandchildren and
five great grandchildren.
A memorial/celebration service will be held November 11, 2023 at Village
on the Green, Longwood, FL. Burial of the ashes will take place at a later
date in the Memorial Garden of The First Congregational Church of Winter
Park, Florida, next to those of his mother and father.
Contributions in lieu of flowers may be sent, attn: Brede-Wilkins
Scholarship Fund, 500 Village Place, Village on the Green, Longwood,
Florida 32779.
“Life has been good to me. I lived in America. I had a long
life. I did most everything I wanted to do, and a few things
I didn’t want to do. I had jobs I liked and a woman I loved.
And four great children. Couldn’t ask for more than that.”
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