John S. (Sid) Coates

John Sidney (Sid) Coates 93, of Fountain Hills, died peacefully in his sleep, at home, on Sept. 28, 2016.

Sid was born, Sept. 7, 1923, in Carbon, Alberta, Canada. He grew up on a small farm at the end of the road in the little town of Carbon with his older sister and immigrant parents.

At 17 he left the farm, joined the Royal Canadian Navy and went off to war. He spent many months crossing the Atlantic on Canada’s HMCS Trentonian escorting supply ships to and from England. After his unit’s preparation for and participation in the military action at D-Day, June 6, 1944, the Trentonian resumed escorting supply ships.

On Feb. 22, 1945 his ship was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine. An English ship, without permission, stopped to help rescue the sailors from the brutally cold waters of the Atlantic. Sid, “the farm boy from the prairie, who wasn’t a swimmer, was one of the fortunate who clamored to the top of the scramble net to safety.

After the war he returned to Canada and settled in Calgary where he met his wife, Doris Irene Quesseth. They had two daughters, Beverley Anne and Linda Cheryl. During the 1953 polio epidemic Doris and their new-born son, John died.

In 1957 he married Vera Alice Ross Brown who had three daughters of her own, Beverly, Sharon and Carolyn. Sid became a caring influence in the lives of these girls and their families as well: Beverly and Barney Cocklan, Sharon and Doug Compton and Carolyn and

Lavern Esklane. Vera died of cancer in 1990.

Sid had 30 rewarding years serving the citizens of Calgary AB Canada as a policeman. He retired as Superintendent of Detectives in 1979 and was known to be “A Policeman’s Policeman!”

He was a good friend and enjoyed many happy hours fishing and hunting in the “great white north” with friends and family.

Sid was a GREAT grandpa to all his grandchildren. He always vowed he wanted to get to know them all well and he did this. He brought a wonderful element of fun and mischief to their lives and will be missed by them all.

In 1993 he met his soon-to-be wife, Carol Ann Russell Linge. They were married Jan. 14, 1995 in Sedona, and made Fountain Hills their home.

Soon after they married Sid wrote a book about his life in which, on the final page, he wrote:

“When I was in the process of selling my house in Pinnacle Peak and buying a condo near downtown Old Scottsdale I met a lady named Carol who was a school teacher. We stayed together and were married in 1995 and built a nice new home in Fountain Hills, outside of Scottsdale. Carol retired from teaching and now we’re settling into Fountain Hills and starting to enjoy it.

“Hopefully I’m settled down for the rest of my life with such a very, very nice lady, Carol, who I love very much.”

The joining of Sid’s Canadian family and Carol’s American family was evidenced by annual multiple month trips across the border made by many members of both families.

This blending of cultures and people with love was a very gratifying and joyful experience in their marriage. These last 23 years were very happy years filled with love.

A resident of Fountain Hills since 1996, Sid had been a member of the Fountain Hills Cultural and Civic Association, the Noon Kiwanis Club and the Fountains Methodist Church. He also was an avid supporter of Public Art and the Fountain Hills Theater.

He was pre-deceased by his parents, John Hubert Coates and Edith Tierney Coates; his sister, Ethel Coates, his wife, the mother of his children, Doris Irene Quesseth Coates and their baby son, John; his wife, Vera Ross Brown Coates; and his grandson and wife, Colin Daryl Tilson and Mary Katherine Tilson.

He is survived by his wife of 21 years, Carol Russell Linge Coates; his daughters, Beverley (Derek) Tilson of Waterton, Alberta, Cheryl (James) Bissell of Spruce Grove, Alberta; Carol’s daughter, Margaret (Michael) Oberg of Fountain Hills; seven grandchildren and six great grandchildren.

Services will be held at The Fountains Methodist Church, Fountain Hills Blvd. on Sunday, Nov. 6, 2016 at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers contributions in his honor may be made to The Fountains Methodist Church or The Fountain Hills Theater.