Dr. R. Roy  Coats

Dr. R. Roy Coats, Jr., passed away on June 25th, 2012 at Hospicare of Tompkins County at the age of 79. He was pre-deceased by his parents, R. Roy, Sr. and Francis Coats of Memphis, TN, his brother Reed Coats of Alexandria, VA, and his son Kim Bryant Coats of Torquay, U.K.

Roy is survived by his wife, Alma Selle Coats of Ithaca, NY; his daughter Stephanie (Edward) Hammond and their children Sean and Lauren Hammond of Clifton Park, NY; his son Steve (Fiona) Coats and their children Megan and Isobel Coats of Gaithersburg, MD; his daughter-in-law, Louise Coats and children Amy and Max Coats of Torquay, U.K.; and many friends both here in Ithaca and around the world.

Roy was born in Oxford, MI, where he spent his early childhood. His family later moved to Memphis, TN where he attended Southwestern University and the University of Tennessee School of Medicine. He completed general and thoracic surgical residencies in Nashville, Detroit, and Ashville.

After completing his medical training, Dr. Coats and his family worked in Medical Mission Hospitals in Bareilly, India and Kathmandu, Nepal until 1968. In 1970, Roy and his family moved to Ithaca, where he joined Surgical Associates of Ithaca.

After retiring from surgical practice, Dr. Coats was the first medical director of Hospicare of Ithaca and often commented, “That’s where I really learned the compassion of being a caring health professional.”

In addition to spending time with his family, Roy enjoyed hiking, rock climbing, and trekking (particularly in the base camp region of Mt. Everest) while living in Nepal.

He was a participant in numerous volunteer mission projects both in the United States and abroad. He was an active member of St. Paul’s UMC, along with numerous local and worldwide organizations.

Roy will be greatly missed and remembered often for his saying, “Live life fully.”

A memorial service to celebrate Roy’s life will be held at 11:00a.m on July 7, 2012 at St.Paul’s United Methodist Church in Ithaca, N.Y.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Roy’s memory to a charity of your choice or those dear to his heart: Volunteers in Mission C/O St Pauls United Methodist Church, 402 N. Aurora St., Ithaca, NY 14850, Hospicare of Tompkins County, 172 E. King Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850, or Educate the Children of Nepal, PO Box 414, Ithaca, NY 14851.