Thomas Coons Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Thomas W. Coons (Tom) was born on February 12, 1943 in Omaha, Nebraska where he lived until graduating from North High School in 1961. During the summers of his high school years he worked at the Grand Canyon and then with a logging company in Wyoming. Although his plan had been to go to Colorado State right after high school, the experiences he had during his summer years convinced him that he was not ready to pursue his education immediately. He decided to join the Navy in August of 1961. After boot camp in San Diego, he studied to be a surveyor in Port Hueneme and spent the first two years stationed on the USS Tanner at sea or home at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. His final tour of duty took him to Guantanamo in Cuba. After leaving the Navy, he got his degree in Geology from the University of Nevada. During this time, in order to make ends meet, he worked in the casinos as a black jack dealer and then as a taxi driver and dispatcher. After Nevada, he went to the University of Oregon Law School in Eugene but decided after two years that it wasn’t the life for him and left for California where got a second BS- this time from San Jose State in Business Administration (accounting). In California, he worked as a surveyor for the United States Geological Survey. He ended his career there as a Cartographer and finally a manager of one of the Cartographic units there including his specialty in aero-triangulation. He died on May 28, 2022 after a long bout with Interstitial Lung Disease that left him fairly handicapped during the three years that he spent at Rogue Valley Manor in Medford, Oregon. He leaves behind a loving wife and partner of 41 years, Joni Johnson, a sister, Audrey (Susie) Hauter and nephew Steve Hauter, both in Cedar Rapids, and a niece and nephew in Minneapolis, Sonja Hauter and Bernie Miller. Others in his family include his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Bob and Debbie Schor and their children, Ben Schor and his wife Sienna in Los Angeles and Adam and Leah Doberne-Schor in Columbia, South Carolina and their children. And Starr, his dog, misses him most. He is preceded in death by his brother Chuck, two years his senior, who died of complications after serving in the Viet Nam war. Until his illness really began to affect him, he was a man who loved life and adventure. With Joni, he bicycled and hiked in many countries. He probably knew more of France than most French people do because he took over twenty trips along the small roads of France. He would pick the routes and fix the bikes while Joni would make the arrangements. In addition, he and Joni spent three months each year in Montpellier trying hard to live a French life from 2008 until 2018. Besides France, they biked through England, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Austria, Belgium and Holland. They also biked through the San Juan Islands and parts of British Columbia as well as Ontario, Quebec and Prince Edwards Island. Some things people remember about Tom are that he played the hammered dulcimer, he was so much fun to be with, he was kind and loving, he always had a smile and a bike attached to his car. He was always ready for dinner and wine and discussions, preparing turkey for Thanksgiving in France followed by pumpkin pie. He loved to cook, and especially, to make bread. His sweet potato rolls were a big hit. He tried his best to speak French. He always looked so attentive during all the French discussions that I think people thought he spoke and understood more than he did. He was a crossword puzzle maniac but never minded leaving a crossword puzzle unfinished. He loved being in California and France and he loved being here in Oregon in spite of what he went through these past few years. He was a brave man and will be greatly missed by all that knew him.

Tributes

Thomas Coons

February 12, 1943 - May 28, 2022