Dr. David L. Coon, 79, a resident of Pullman, Washington, since 1971, and formerly of rural Oak Hill, IL, died at 2:35 p.m. on Thursday, September 16, 2021, at Pullman Regional Hospital.
David was born on June 15, 1942, in Peoria. He was the son of Merle C. and Edith Hampson Coon and grew up on the family farm a mile north of Oak Hill. He was a graduate of Brimfield High School and an honors graduate of the University of Illinois in Urbana. He married Betty Rae Harlan in Brimfield on August 25, 1962. Betty passed away in December of 2014.
Surviving are a daughter, Lara and son-in-law, Dr. David Anderson, of College Station, TX; two brothers, M. Wayne (and Patricia) Coon of Duluth, GA, and Dr. John (and Anita) Coon of Bluffton, SC; three sisters-in-law, Jean Coon of Princeville, Kay Habil of Eddyville, KY, and Janet Harlan of Scottsdale, AZ; and three brothers-in-law, Bill Dorris of Peoria, Dr. Karl Taylor of Metamora and Charles Harlan of Mobile, AL.
In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by his grandparents, P.A. and Maggie Dawson Coon and B.L. and Anna White Hampson; his parents; brother, Jim; and sisters, Mary Ann Dorris and Nancy Taylor.
Throughout life he put family first and was devoted to his loved ones, foremost wonderfully special, Betty; his caring daughter, Lara; and his parents, who showed him the way.
David's passion was history; he was a teacher and a scholar. David began his career in 1965 at Champaign Senior High School. After earning a doctorate from the University of Illinois in Urbana, David moved his family to Pullman, WA, where he was a member of the History Department at Washington State University. He worked at WSU for thirty-seven years, retiring in 2008. In addition to teaching a notable wide range of courses, he led his department's teacher certification program for many years and chaired/served on dozens of graduate student committees. He was the recipient of multiple university and college awards for excellence in undergraduate advising and instruction.
A specialist in Early American History, he published essays and reviews in that field, authored one book and contributed a long chapter to a second, and was widely known for his research on George Washington's Mount Vernon as a community. A lifelong bibliophile, he also collected Fifties music and comics. After retiring, David enjoyed researching and writing the history of his extended family. Preserving a record of our forebears and passing this to our descendants, he believed, is an endeavor in which all can share.
Private internment of ashes will be in the Oak Hill Cemetery.
Peoria Journal Star - September 24, 2021.
David was born on June 15, 1942, in Peoria. He was the son of Merle C. and Edith Hampson Coon and grew up on the family farm a mile north of Oak Hill. He was a graduate of Brimfield High School and an honors graduate of the University of Illinois in Urbana. He married Betty Rae Harlan in Brimfield on August 25, 1962. Betty passed away in December of 2014.
Surviving are a daughter, Lara and son-in-law, Dr. David Anderson, of College Station, TX; two brothers, M. Wayne (and Patricia) Coon of Duluth, GA, and Dr. John (and Anita) Coon of Bluffton, SC; three sisters-in-law, Jean Coon of Princeville, Kay Habil of Eddyville, KY, and Janet Harlan of Scottsdale, AZ; and three brothers-in-law, Bill Dorris of Peoria, Dr. Karl Taylor of Metamora and Charles Harlan of Mobile, AL.
In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by his grandparents, P.A. and Maggie Dawson Coon and B.L. and Anna White Hampson; his parents; brother, Jim; and sisters, Mary Ann Dorris and Nancy Taylor.
Throughout life he put family first and was devoted to his loved ones, foremost wonderfully special, Betty; his caring daughter, Lara; and his parents, who showed him the way.
David's passion was history; he was a teacher and a scholar. David began his career in 1965 at Champaign Senior High School. After earning a doctorate from the University of Illinois in Urbana, David moved his family to Pullman, WA, where he was a member of the History Department at Washington State University. He worked at WSU for thirty-seven years, retiring in 2008. In addition to teaching a notable wide range of courses, he led his department's teacher certification program for many years and chaired/served on dozens of graduate student committees. He was the recipient of multiple university and college awards for excellence in undergraduate advising and instruction.
A specialist in Early American History, he published essays and reviews in that field, authored one book and contributed a long chapter to a second, and was widely known for his research on George Washington's Mount Vernon as a community. A lifelong bibliophile, he also collected Fifties music and comics. After retiring, David enjoyed researching and writing the history of his extended family. Preserving a record of our forebears and passing this to our descendants, he believed, is an endeavor in which all can share.
Private internment of ashes will be in the Oak Hill Cemetery.
Peoria Journal Star - September 24, 2021.
Dr. David L. Coon, 79, a resident of Pullman, Washington, since 1971, and formerly of rural Oak Hill, IL, died at 2:35 p.m. on Thursday, September 16, 2021, at Pullman Regional Hospital.
David was born on June 15, 1942, in Peoria. He was the son of Merle C. and Edith Hampson Coon and grew up on the family farm a mile north of Oak Hill. He was a graduate of Brimfield High School and an honors graduate of the University of Illinois in Urbana. He married Betty Rae Harlan in Brimfield on August 25, 1962. Betty passed away in December of 2014.
Surviving are a daughter, Lara and son-in-law, Dr. David Anderson, of College Station, TX; two brothers, M. Wayne (and Patricia) Coon of Duluth, GA, and Dr. John (and Anita) Coon of Bluffton, SC; three sisters-in-law, Jean Coon of Princeville, Kay Habil of Eddyville, KY, and Janet Harlan of Scottsdale, AZ; and three brothers-in-law, Bill Dorris of Peoria, Dr. Karl Taylor of Metamora and Charles Harlan of Mobile, AL.
In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by his grandparents, P.A. and Maggie Dawson Coon and B.L. and Anna White Hampson; his parents; brother, Jim; and sisters, Mary Ann Dorris and Nancy Taylor.
Throughout life he put family first and was devoted to his loved ones, foremost wonderfully special, Betty; his caring daughter, Lara; and his parents, who showed him the way.
David's passion was history; he was a teacher and a scholar. David began his career in 1965 at Champaign Senior High School. After earning a doctorate from the University of Illinois in Urbana, David moved his family to Pullman, WA, where he was a member of the History Department at Washington State University. He worked at WSU for thirty-seven years, retiring in 2008. In addition to teaching a notable wide range of courses, he led his department's teacher certification program for many years and chaired/served on dozens of graduate student committees. He was the recipient of multiple university and college awards for excellence in undergraduate advising and instruction.
A specialist in Early American History, he published essays and reviews in that field, authored one book and contributed a long chapter to a second, and was widely known for his research on George Washington's Mount Vernon as a community. A lifelong bibliophile, he also collected Fifties music and comics. After retiring, David enjoyed researching and writing the history of his extended family. Preserving a record of our forebears and passing this to our descendants, he believed, is an endeavor in which all can share.
Private internment of ashes will be in the Oak Hill Cemetery.
Peoria Journal Star - September 24, 2021.
David was born on June 15, 1942, in Peoria. He was the son of Merle C. and Edith Hampson Coon and grew up on the family farm a mile north of Oak Hill. He was a graduate of Brimfield High School and an honors graduate of the University of Illinois in Urbana. He married Betty Rae Harlan in Brimfield on August 25, 1962. Betty passed away in December of 2014.
Surviving are a daughter, Lara and son-in-law, Dr. David Anderson, of College Station, TX; two brothers, M. Wayne (and Patricia) Coon of Duluth, GA, and Dr. John (and Anita) Coon of Bluffton, SC; three sisters-in-law, Jean Coon of Princeville, Kay Habil of Eddyville, KY, and Janet Harlan of Scottsdale, AZ; and three brothers-in-law, Bill Dorris of Peoria, Dr. Karl Taylor of Metamora and Charles Harlan of Mobile, AL.
In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by his grandparents, P.A. and Maggie Dawson Coon and B.L. and Anna White Hampson; his parents; brother, Jim; and sisters, Mary Ann Dorris and Nancy Taylor.
Throughout life he put family first and was devoted to his loved ones, foremost wonderfully special, Betty; his caring daughter, Lara; and his parents, who showed him the way.
David's passion was history; he was a teacher and a scholar. David began his career in 1965 at Champaign Senior High School. After earning a doctorate from the University of Illinois in Urbana, David moved his family to Pullman, WA, where he was a member of the History Department at Washington State University. He worked at WSU for thirty-seven years, retiring in 2008. In addition to teaching a notable wide range of courses, he led his department's teacher certification program for many years and chaired/served on dozens of graduate student committees. He was the recipient of multiple university and college awards for excellence in undergraduate advising and instruction.
A specialist in Early American History, he published essays and reviews in that field, authored one book and contributed a long chapter to a second, and was widely known for his research on George Washington's Mount Vernon as a community. A lifelong bibliophile, he also collected Fifties music and comics. After retiring, David enjoyed researching and writing the history of his extended family. Preserving a record of our forebears and passing this to our descendants, he believed, is an endeavor in which all can share.
Private internment of ashes will be in the Oak Hill Cemetery.
Peoria Journal Star - September 24, 2021.
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