James McDonald Coffroth |
| Posted 2009-03-06 by Judy Wight Branson |
| The Daily Courier, Prescott, Arizona Saturday, May 26, 2007 James McDonald Coffroth, 86, of Prescott, Ariz., born in Pittsburgh, Pa., passed away May 24, 2007, at his home in Prescott. A private cremation will be at Bradshaw Crematory in Prescott Valley. Inurnment will take place at Prescott National Cemetery in Prescott with full Military Honors at a later date. Arizona Ruffner Wakelin Funeral Home assisted the family with final arrangements. ------------------- The Daily Courier, Prescott, Arizona Sunday, June 3, 2007 James McDonald Coffroth, journalist, university professor and justice of the peace, died of heart failure in his home on his birthday, May 24, 2007. He was 86. His passing came a little more than eight months after the death of his wife of 58 years, Carol Armington Coffroth. He also was preceded in death by their son, Bruce McDonald Coffroth, in 1975. He is survived by his children, Elizabeth Susan Coffroth, Sally Ann Epperson, Peggy Jo Kingman and John Armington Coffroth; sons-in-law Gil Walter and Randy Epperson; and grandchildren, Samantha Weldon, Bruce and Taylor Kingman, and Alexis and Aneesa Coffroth. He also is survived by two sisters, Mary Abbott and Trish Langley. Jim was born on May 24,1921, in Pittsburgh, Pa., to John and Anne Coffroth; he was No. 5 of seven children. He grew up and attended elementary and high schools in Bellevue, a suburban community in the Pittsburgh area. He embraced life, and as a young man would often dance his mother around the kitchen to the tunes of the day. Jim enlisted in the 89th Infantry Army Division and from 1942 to 1946 served during World War II in the United States, England, France and Germany. He earned the Combat Infantry Medal, two Bronze Stars and was honorably discharged. Shortly after returning from duty, he met Carol at a party. Although they came with other people, they soon decided they were meant to be together. They were married on Dec. 27, 1947, in Sewickley, Pa., and moved into their first home in Coral Gables, Fla. In short order, he earned his bachelor's degree in journalism at the University of Miami followed by his master's degree in history and government from New York University. Daughters Susan and Sally were born during their stay in Florida. Jim's work history included stints as a writer, teacher and judge, and he moved easily between jobs relying on his excellent writing and communication skills, his love of learning and his enthusiasm for teaching. He began his journalism career as a staff reporter for the Miami Herald but after two years moved to teaching. Jim taught history and English from 1949 to 1952 in Dade County, Florida. He and his family moved across the country to Glendale, Ariz., for a teaching opportunity at Glendale High School. During that two-year assignment, he also wrote a column for the Glendale Herald. Their third daughter, Peggy, was born during that time. From 1954 to 1959, the Coffroths again lived in Pennsylvania, where Jim served as editor/publisher-of the Butler County News-Record in Zelienople and area bureau chief of the Butler County Eagle in Butler. Their sons John and Bruce were born in Zelienople. From 1959 to 1970, Jim taught journalism and English at Tempe, South Mountain and East High schools, often also serving as the school's newspaper and/or year-book adviser. During his high school teaching years, he was one of the early members of the Arizona Interscholastic Press Association, an organization devoted to providing hands-on experiences for high school journalism students and their advisers. He served as executive secretary, president, past president and board member of the association. He also served as a teacher, assistant director and director of the two-week AIPA workshops conducted each summer at Northern Arizona University. He was known as "Mr. C." in those days. Jim joined the journalism faculty at NAU as an assistant professor in 1970. He enlightened hundreds of students in the techniques of journalism and public relations over the course of nine years. During his tenure he served as adviser of the NAU "Lumberjack." His former students will remember one of his favorite sayings: "There are men in the ranks, who will stay in the ranks, simply because they don't know how to get things done!" He applied those words of wisdom to his own life, earning his doctorate in education at Arizona State University, despite the fact that administrators believed at 50 he was too old to begin the program. "Dr. C." didn't believe it. Among his associations and memberships were: charter member of the Grand Canyon Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, member of the Arizona Newspaper Association, member of the National Association of University Professors and member of Phi Delta Kappa. Over the years, he was active in the American Legion, and Kiwanis and Rotary clubs. Following his university teaching career, he was appointed justice of the peace pro tern in Flagstaff in 1983 and served for five years. As part of that experience, he attended the National Judicial College at the University of Nevada in 1983, 1984 and 1985. The best part of the job, he often remarked, was joining loving couples in marriage. He retired in 1988 to the home he and Carol built in Rimrock, Ariz., although that was not to be their last home. His retirement years were active, and he and Carol traveled to London, toured Germany and took many drives to explore their beloved Southwest. They especially enjoyed living in Silver City, N.M., where they helped found a Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and were active participants in discussions about Theosophy. After they moved back to Phoenix, they enjoyed spending their summers in Rexburg, Idaho, which was a hub for numerous adventures in Idaho and Wyoming. Jim and Carol moved to Prescott in 2002, where they made many friends at the Granite Peak Unitarian Congregation. Always a student, Jim loved reading about religion, language and history. In his final years, he spent many hours listening to books on tape and CD and enjoyed engaging family and friends in conversation about what he had learned. Always a scholar and a gentleman, he will be greatly missed by his family and friends. A memorial will be 2 p.m. July 15 at the Granite Peak Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 882 Sunset Avenue, Prescott, Arizona, 86303. Information provided by survivors. See Also: Arizona Gravestone Photo Program |
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