Jeff and Pat Coffey

On the morning of March 30, 2026, Jeff and Pat Coffey, ages 66 and 67, departed from this Earthly plane. They died as they lived - en route to have fun with family, with hearts full of love and no kind words left unsaid, and before all else, together. 

Patricia Louise Coon was born on December 26, 1958 in Wellsville, NY to Eldyn and Naomi Coon. The youngest of four daughters by a few years, she never liked being cold. As such, she moved away from upstate NY as soon as she could, signing on with the Air Force. While stationed in Blytheville, Arkansas, she met Jeff, which is when she always said her life truly began. 

Jeffrey Ronald Coffey was born on October 12, 1959 to Ron and Bonnie Coffey in Charlotte, NC. He was the oldest of four children, though he never let Pat forget that she was slightly older. From the moment they met, Jeff and Pat were inseparable; they were married on October 23, 1982 in Blytheville, AR. Once discharged from the Air Force, the newlywed Coffeys settled in Lincoln County, NC to be near family as they started their own. 

Over the next 25 years, Jeff and Pat filled their lives with family, faith, and friends in Denver, NC. Jeff worked for BellSouth but always said his real life was at home with his family. Pat worked as an assistant teacher and bookkeeper but also preferred time with Jeff and their children. They were members of Unity Presbyterian Church and founding members of the East Lincoln Community Chorus. They played bridge with their neighbors and friends, took vacations to the beach and mountains with their children, and Jeff always found time to lose a round of golf to his Dad now and then. 

When Jeff was called to the ministry after their kids left home, Pat joined him at First Presbyterian Church of Spruce Pine and then Marion, NC, where they touched many more lives through gifts of service, music, and ministry. Eternally youthful, with a love for crafts and silly songs, Pat always had a soft spot for and a way with children, and Jeff was a wise, steadfast leader in faith and fellowship. 

In the years leading up to and including their all-too-brief retirement, Jeff and Pat relocated to Sunset Beach, NC, where they both worked at Century 21 Sunset Realty and took up surf fishing and smoking meats. Their best days were spent fishing with close friends and Jeff's siblings and families, and even though she wouldn't touch the bait or fish, Pat was always the first to catch.

They became Nana and Papa for the first time in 2018, the crown jewel in their long lists of lifetime roles, and they couldn't wait to introduce each grandchild to fishing, ice cream, and Pat's enduring love for crafts and board games. When Pat was diagnosed with metastatic cancer in 2023, Jeff never left her side, and they never missed a holiday, birthday, or big event, even in her illness. 

Their loss leaves a very big hole in the lives of many circles, because they lived with integrity and compassion for every life they met and always centered their love for each other and family. They were preceded in death by Jeff's mother, Bonnie Hawkins Coffey, Pat's parents, Eldyn and Naomi Coon, and Pat's sister, Linda Libman. 

Those left here to miss them are spread far and wide across space and time, and include Jeff's father, Ron, brothers Greg (Joan) and Randy (Debbie), sister Angie (Jim); Pat's sisters Susie (Bill) and Judy (John); their son, Andrew (Jessica) and daughter, Ashley (Turner); 11 nieces and nephews (Erin, Shannon, Chris, Heather, Beth, Sean, Josh, April, Amie, Alex, and Vincent); and 4 little people (Violet, Juniper, Foster, and Rosetta) who will miss Nana and Papa forever.

A joint celebration of life will be held at 2 PM on Sunday, April 19, 2026 at Sea Trail Resort, 75 Clubhouse Rd, Sunset Beach, NC 28468. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in their honor to your favorite charity. 

Donaldson Funeral Home and Crematory is honored to serve the Coffey Family.