Roll Call Tribute
Dwayne Coleman '54 April 23, 2012 10:12 AM
Published in Rapid City (SD) Journal on April 23, 2012
Dwayne M. Coleman
RAPID CITY - Dwayne M. Coleman, 87, Rapid City, died April 21, 2012, at Westhills Village.
Dwayne was born Oct. 27, 1924, in Wasta, S.D., to Champ Coleman and Amalie Isenberg Coleman. Upon graduating from Wasta High School in 1942, he enrolled in the University of Wyoming, later serving in World War II as an officer in the U.S. Army Air Corps as a navigator on the B-24 bomber in Burma, Siam and India.
He married Helen Overholt from Wall, S.D., on Nov. 1, 1944, at the First Presbyterian Church of Rapid City, of which he was a current member. Dwayne graduated from the Colorado School of Mines in 1949 as a petroleum engineer and began his 36-year career with Mobil Oil (Exxon Mobil). He obtained his master's degree in petroleum engineering in 1954 from Texas A&M. His career took him from Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Canada, culminating in the position of offshore engineering manager for Mobil's Worldwide Offshore Research and Development Division. He and Helen traveled extensively to Norway, Sweden, France, England, the Mediterranean, Africa, Newfoundland and Sable Island. They built their retirement home on the shores of Hayden Lake, Idaho, while maintaining winter residences in Dallas and Possum Kingdom Lake, Texas.
They had three daughters. After Helen's death in 1988, Dwayne married Ruth Ord of Denver and spent seven years traveling to Hawaii, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the U.S., visiting family and friends until Ruth died in 1996. Dwayne then returned to Rapid City, remaining active in local and national politics and focused on the TransCanada Keystone Pipeline.
Dwayne is survived by brother, Boyce Coleman and his wife, Lila (Las Vegas); daughters, Debbie Baird and her husband, Miller (Denver), Cynthia Jo Lopez (Tampa), Pam Troxel and her husband Tom (Rapid City); grandchildren, Justin (Jana) Carlyle (Rapid City), Kimbra (Zeb) Dafnis (Phoenix), Hale Henderson (Dallas); and three great-grandchildren; and Tom and Jeff Ord (Las Vegas).
He was preceded in death by sister Thalice Meiners.
Visitation will be held from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m., Tuesday, April 24, 2012, at Behrens-Wilson Funeral Home.
A service of praise and thanksgiving for the life of Dwayne Coleman will be officiated by Rev. Herb Cleveland at the funeral home on April 25, 2012, at 10 a.m. Burial with military honors will follow at Mountain View Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be given to World Vision to drill water wells to provide life giving water to needy families worldwide.
Condolences may be conveyed to the family at www.behrenswilson.com.
Dwayne M. Coleman
RAPID CITY - Dwayne M. Coleman, 87, Rapid City, died April 21, 2012, at Westhills Village.
Dwayne was born Oct. 27, 1924, in Wasta, S.D., to Champ Coleman and Amalie Isenberg Coleman. Upon graduating from Wasta High School in 1942, he enrolled in the University of Wyoming, later serving in World War II as an officer in the U.S. Army Air Corps as a navigator on the B-24 bomber in Burma, Siam and India.
He married Helen Overholt from Wall, S.D., on Nov. 1, 1944, at the First Presbyterian Church of Rapid City, of which he was a current member. Dwayne graduated from the Colorado School of Mines in 1949 as a petroleum engineer and began his 36-year career with Mobil Oil (Exxon Mobil). He obtained his master's degree in petroleum engineering in 1954 from Texas A&M. His career took him from Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Canada, culminating in the position of offshore engineering manager for Mobil's Worldwide Offshore Research and Development Division. He and Helen traveled extensively to Norway, Sweden, France, England, the Mediterranean, Africa, Newfoundland and Sable Island. They built their retirement home on the shores of Hayden Lake, Idaho, while maintaining winter residences in Dallas and Possum Kingdom Lake, Texas.
They had three daughters. After Helen's death in 1988, Dwayne married Ruth Ord of Denver and spent seven years traveling to Hawaii, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the U.S., visiting family and friends until Ruth died in 1996. Dwayne then returned to Rapid City, remaining active in local and national politics and focused on the TransCanada Keystone Pipeline.
Dwayne is survived by brother, Boyce Coleman and his wife, Lila (Las Vegas); daughters, Debbie Baird and her husband, Miller (Denver), Cynthia Jo Lopez (Tampa), Pam Troxel and her husband Tom (Rapid City); grandchildren, Justin (Jana) Carlyle (Rapid City), Kimbra (Zeb) Dafnis (Phoenix), Hale Henderson (Dallas); and three great-grandchildren; and Tom and Jeff Ord (Las Vegas).
He was preceded in death by sister Thalice Meiners.
Visitation will be held from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m., Tuesday, April 24, 2012, at Behrens-Wilson Funeral Home.
A service of praise and thanksgiving for the life of Dwayne Coleman will be officiated by Rev. Herb Cleveland at the funeral home on April 25, 2012, at 10 a.m. Burial with military honors will follow at Mountain View Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be given to World Vision to drill water wells to provide life giving water to needy families worldwide.
Condolences may be conveyed to the family at www.behrenswilson.com.
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