Lyle R. Coates
Lyle R. Coates
Lyle R. Coates, age 94, of Baraboo, formerly of Madison, passed away on Friday, December 26, 2014 at PineViewCareCenter in Black RiverFalls. He was born on June 7, 1920, the son of Sylvester and Marguerite Coates of Waseca, MN. The family moved to Madison, shortly after Lyle's birth. He was a graduate of MadisonCentralHigh School. In 1941, he married June Kinsman of Madison, and they celebrated 70 years of marriage in 2011. Soon after their marriage, Lyle joined the U.S. Army, where he became a paratrooper in the 11th Airborne Division. His most notable assignment was in the Occupational Forces in Japan. He, June and their son Robert were in Japan for two years. He left the Army with the rank of Captain. He then served in the Army Reserves, and eventually retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. When he returned to civilian life after the war, he began working for Wisconsin Power and Light Company and remained with the company until his retirement. Early in his career, he worked as a journeyman electrician on a crew building substations, but then worked his way up to District Manager by the time he retired. His career required several moves over the years, from Madison to DeForest, Baraboo, Tomah, Sheboygan, Fond du Lac, and finally back to Baraboo, where he lived for 38 years, until his move to Pine View in April of this year. In retirement, he and June were active volunteers at the CircusWorldMuseum for many years. They were also members of the Fortnightly Club of Baraboo, and the Badger Steam and Gas Engine Club. They were members of St. Paul's Lutheran Church of Baraboo. Lyle was also a member of the Elks Club, Lions, American Legion, and other organizations. He is survived by his son, Robert (Louise) Coates of Deerfield; daughter Carolyn (Duane) Newell of Black River Falls; granddaughters Sarah (Jeremy) Faulkner of Geneva, IL and Melanie Singleton of Orlando, FL; great-grandson Adam Faulkner; sister Marion (David) Hammer of Sparta, IL; brother-in-law Edward (Jean) Kinsman of Kalispell, MT; and other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife June, his brother William, and an infant daughter, Alice. There will be no formal memorial service. Those who wish may make a memorial donation to the International Crane Foundation, P.O. Box 447, Baraboo, WI53913.