Ernest Wilson Coleman

Ernest Wilson Coleman, 73, from Lebanon, Tennessee, left us to be with the Lord on Wednesday, May 12, 2021. He died in Phoenix, Arizona, in the company of loved ones. He is survived by his loving wife of 52 years, Cynthia Coleman; his son David Wilson Coleman and his daughter-in-law Erin; and his daughter Jennifer Rossetti and his son-in-law Mario. He also leaves behind five grandchildren: Anthony and David Rossetti, and Charlotte, James, and Thomas Coleman, all of whom adored their "Pa." Ernest also leaves behind his sisters Linda (Raymond) Reed, Martha (Don) Filson, and Lisa Coleman. Ernest was a positive, curious, vigorous man always looking for ways to help and problems to solve. Studying as an electrical engineer in college, almost by accident, he held four patents and his lightning detection system has kept airline passengers safe for decades. After leaving a highly successful corporate career in aerospace engineering, he retired, became an entrepreneur in the sign business, retired again, started another sign business, bought Cindy a quilt company, brought Jennifer and Mario into the family business for a time, started a gaming company for David, and in his free time, ...[more]

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ld look for ways to fix and improve the family houses, or just build a new house, or even a chicken coop. An aviator, he loved to fly, and he loved to fish, especially with his family, and many family trips involved a day of fishing. In one of several RV's, each of which was named "Pa's Bus" by the grandchildren, we spent many weeks on the road, exploring wine country, listening to country music, and learning from his experience and stories. A humble man, Ernest was also the smartest man we knew, and any conversation had the opportunity to lead to new wisdom. Ernest's faith was strong. He was an enthusiastic reader of the Bible, an active member in the church, and the spiritual mentor to our family. Ernest took an active role in the lives of his children and grandchildren. Always available, always helpful, always reliable, he was our engineer, electrician, carpenter, farmer, mentor, math tutor, video game and board game playmate, financial expert, and loving companion, husband, father, brother, uncle, and father-in-law, and will always, always be remembered by his grandchildren as "Pa." The loss of Ernest leaves a hole in the family that can only be filled by the comfort of the Lord, and we will miss him forever. Services will be held at Hansen Desert Hills Mortuary, 6500 E. Bell Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85254, at 1pm June 12, 2021, with a reception to follow from 2-4 pm. For those unable to attend, livestreaming will be available to view using the following link. https://vimeo.com/549423228 In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the North Village Baptist Church Sanctuary Renovation Fund to North Village Baptist Church, 1010 E. Alice Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85020, or to the American Heart Association at https://www.heart.org/?form=donate.