Obituary for Anne Patricia Coates

On Tuesday, November 29, 2022, Anne Patricia Coates (81) passed away in Oro Valley, Arizona.

Anne was born on January 2, 1941, to parents William and Lillian Goulding in Wigan, England. When Anne was 7 years old, her sister Christina was born. Anne and Christina were very close; the best of friends throughout their lives no
matter how far apart they lived.

Anne, known as Pat when she was young, grew up in Wigan, Lancashire in the north of England surrounded by 18 aunties and uncles on both sides of her family. She attended St Patrick’s Girls School where she excelled as a student,
passing her 11+ exams, which promoted her to Notre Dame Convent Grammar School. She was Head Girl and a dedicated student both in the classroom and at home on the piano. Taking lessons from an early age, and spending hours practicing daily, Anne excelled at the piano, making the local press each time she passed her exams.

Growing up, her family enjoyed regular holidays in Bispham, a seaside resort near Blackpool. Her mother often took her to the cinema and to concerts with her friends. In 1950, Anne had the honor of being the May Queen. Dressed in the most elaborate white and gold gown that was handmade by her Aunty Nellie, she led a parade of attendants through town on Whit Monday,
ending at the church where she crowned Our Lady’s statue.

During a school trip to Stratford-upon-Avon, Anne fell in love with the theater. She waited at the stage door for Sir Arthur John Gielgud’s autograph, which was the first in her collection. Anne loved the theater and often said that living in London and attending performances multiple times a week was one of her favorite times in life.

In the Fall of 1959, Anne began her university experience at Kings College, London. Her student residence was at Canterbury Hall where she was assigned her flat mate, Valerie Gordon. Anne was a Catholic girl from Wigan studying German, and Valerie, was a Jewish girl from Plymouth in Devon, studying French. They came from opposite ends, but were perfectly matched and have
been lifelong friends ever since. Anne studied abroad for 6 months in Munich, Germany. After returning to England, she completed her BA in German and earned her Post Graduate Certificate in Education. Anne began her teaching career in London.

It was during this time in London that Anne met Phil at a party. After a brief courtship, they were married on August 24, 1964, at St Patrick’s Church in Wigan, and honeymooned in Scotland. They had four children: Naomi, Hannah, Justine, and Tim. Hannah preceded Anne in death. They moved to Vancouver, Canada in 1969 and then to America in 1978.

Phil and Anne have one son-in-law, Justine’s husband, Paul. They have 4 grandsons and 1 great-grandson; Jonathan, Matthew, his son Wyatt, Willie, and Jayce; and 5 step-grandchildren from their son, Tim and his wife Sara; Nathaniel, Natalia, Abigail, Isaac, and Dylan.

No settling down was enough for Anne and Phil. They lived in 5 different countries; England, Canada, USA, Hong Kong, and Singapore. In total they had 27 addresses in their 58 years of marriage. With all the places that Anne called home, she was happiest near the ocean. Raising her children in Vancouver, BC with lifelong friend, Carol Cleaver, helped create some of Anne’s best memories. She would teach during the school year, and during the summers, Anne & Carol would take their children to Ambleside Beach. They chatted, laughed and enjoyed their children playing in the sand. This theme repeated itself when Anne lived in Southern California. She would teach during the school year and throughout the summers she would take the kids to Venice Beach and the Boardwalk, soaking up the sun and enjoying the beach scene.

Phil and Anne enjoyed traveling all over the globe visiting as many countries as they could. Strangers loved opening up to Anne. She was a great listener with a big smile who showed an interest in what others had to say. When traveling in foreign countries, she was invited to family dinners by strangers and shown parts of towns that only locals knew about. She said that while England was her favorite country in which to live, India was her favorite to visit.

Anne was an avid tennis fan. She followed the Opens year-round and attended in person at Wimbledon and Indian Wells. Her favorite player was Rafa Nadal, and she followed him since he made his debut in 2005.

Anne had a big smile and a memorable laugh. She spoke 6 languages, could create a spread of food fit for a king, and had more willpower in her left pinkie than most had in their whole body. Anne didn’t like to be wrong, loved British detective shows, and had excellent taste in clothes. She loved raising her children and was a dedicated wife.

When Phil passed away on August 25, one day after their 58 th wedding anniversary, the grief took its toll on Anne. She was brave and strong, but the  loss proved too much. After an enjoyable lunch at In-N-Out, Anne took her leave and joined Phil on November 29, 2022. While the loss of both of them is a heavy burden for the family, it brings us some level of peace knowing that Anne and Phil are together again.

A funeral Mass and celebration of life will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, December 13, 2022, at St. Mark Catholic Church, 2727 W. Tangerine Road, Oro Valley, AZ. 85742.