Nolan Brent Coleman
Funeral services for Mr. Nolan Brent Coleman, age 84 of Ruston, were held at 10 a.m., Monday, August 20, 2023 in the Family Life Center of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Ruston with Rev. Paul Watts officiating.
Burial followed in the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Ruston under the direction of Owens Memorial Chapel Funeral Home of Ruston.
Nolan was born October 16, 1938, in Delhi, as the twelfth of fourteen children to James Robert and Mary Olivia Coleman and passed away August 18, 2023 at St. Francis Medical Center in Monroe, as the result of a massive stroke. He was a 1956 graduate of Delhi High School where he was involved in FFA.
Nolan earned his bachelors and masters degrees in mathematics from Louisiana Tech University where he met the loves of his life, Margaret Ann Norris Coleman and the Bulldogs. After moving to Mississippi for a year to teach math, he and his wife became homesick for family and returned to Ruston.
There, Nolan began the first of 30 years teaching math on the Louisiana Tech campus. He enjoyed attending just about any and all LA Tech sporting events. Over the years, Nolan witnessed the growth of many sports and the birth of the Lady Techsters dynasty, women’s volleyball and many others.
Behind the scenes, he would help cook food for the athletes with Bill Cox. Nolan was ever loyal long before that was a mantra. He spent summers as a younger man roofing houses and driving school buses with his teaching friends who were off for the summer and mowing lots of grass, which, later became a family venture.
Nolan also enjoyed maintaining his multiacre yard that was known for its beautiful flowerbeds. He enjoyed supporting his kids, grandkids and great grandkids in their endeavors. “Pops” could be counted on to attend it all. He was loyal in his friendships he formed from working at LA Tech, from drinking coffee at the Huddle House and from eating fish at either Quitman or the Flying Burger.
Nolan was a faithful member of Emmanuel Baptist Church for 56 years. As a committed fan of Southern Gospel music, he travelled many miles to enjoy the sound of 4- part harmony with a message about Jesus and His love. All of these things Nolan did with his wife of 61 years. He was preceded in death by his parents; siblings, Jamie Copes, Lee Otis Coleman, Daisy Coleman, Minnie Coleman, Mabel Fuller, Myrtle Patrick, James Robert Coleman, Jr., C.W. Coleman, J.L. Coleman and Marcia Coleman; granddaughter, Rachel Smith; and grandson, Kelly Bagwell.
He is survived by his wife; siblings, Bertha Slayter, Polly Taylor and Leo Coleman; children: Brent Coleman (Jan), Geni Smith (Mark) and Susan Bagwell (Keith); grandchildren: Jared Coleman (Megan), Jordan Coleman ( Michelle), Jay-Cee Bearden (Tristen), Ashton Beach (Cody), Andrew Jenkins, Laura Sisk ( Bryce), Adam Smith and Casey Bagwell; 10 great- grandchildren; and a host of other family and many friends.
Serving as pallbearers were Jared Coleman, Jordan Coleman, Tristen Bearden, Cody Beach, Adam Smith, Mark Smith and Keith Bagwell. Honorary pallbearers were Braden Bagwell and Cam Bagwell.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Emmanuel Baptist Church Sanctuary Remodeling Fund or to Louisiana Tech Athletics.
Visitation was held from 5-7 p.m., Sunday, August 20, 2023, at Owens Memorial Chapel in Ruston. To leave an online memorial message for the family, please visit www.owensmemorialfuneralhome. com.
