Henry Coldiron

Waynesville, Henry Clay "Jack" Coldiron, age 93, passed away on July 18, 2014 at Mission Hospital. He was born in Arno, Virginia and moved to Harlan, Kentucky as an infant with his parents, the late James and Lavina Carrie Phillips Coldiron. He is also preceded in death by the mother of his children, Cleo Hickox Coldiron and his second wife and mother to his children, Lillian Tomlinson Coldiron; a brother, James Coldiron and sisters, Lucille Wood, Mary Lee Charles and Dixie Lee Perkins. Jack served in World War II as a Staff Sgt. With the 379th Infantry Division and entered the war in France in July 1944. He was wounded in Metz France and returned to duty a month later and received the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. Jack was a graduate of Berea College and the University of Kentucky law School. Following graduation, he worked at the Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio and later transferred to Warner Robins Air Force Base in Georgia. In 1964, he moved to Huntsville, Alabama where he worked for NASA at the Marshall Space Flight Center. There he was head of the Contract Department responsible for acquiring space shuttle equipment until his retirement in 1980. While in Huntsville, Jack coached a number of little league teams in basketball, football, and baseball and he and his family hosted a refugee Vietnamese family of four as part of their church family. After his retirement, he moved to Concord and volunteered for eight years as a coach for the high school golf team and later did tax returns for the elderly through AARP. Jack moved to Lake Junaluska in the 90's and joined Maple Grove United Methodist church where he served on the Finance Committee and Sunday School program and was a Lions Club member for over 30 years. He also loved gardening and golf and traveled to many countries including Russia and China. Jack is survived by his wife of 34 years, Juanita Noland Coldiron; daughter, Debra Lynn Coldiron, of Marietta, Georgia; son, Michael William Coldiron and his wife, Cynthia Mims Coldiron, of Florence, South Carolina; three grandchildren, Landon Clay Coldiron, Alison Dean Coldiron, and Zachary Lee Welch; and two step-daughters, Devon Query Krause (Mark) and Mary Query Welch (Richard). A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 22, 2014 at Maple Grove United Methodist Church with Reverend Hugh Russell and Reverend Kitty Craine officiating. The family will receive friends following the service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Salvation Army, P.O. Box 358, Waynesville, NC 28786; Lions Club of Waynesville, 73 Graham Street, Waynesville, NC 28786; or Maple Grove United Methodist Church Music Program, 79 Maple Grove Church Road, Waynesville, NC 28786.

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