My father is the one who taught me to draw and to really look at light and patterns. He died last week. I'd like to share his obituary with you.

Here's his obituary:

Roger Coon, 94, entered Jesus' presence on March 15, 2024, from his home at the Africa Inland Mission Retirement Center in Minneola, Florida. Born July 20, 1929, Roger was the first in his family to go on to higher education, studying theology at Wheaton College. He and his first wife, Joyce, married in 1951. They served for three years at a rural church in McLane, Pennsylvania, where his two daughters Karen and Tami were born.

In 1959 Roger and Joyce travelled to Kenya where they served with Africa Inland Mission for the next 33 years. Roger had been mentored as a teen by a youth ministry, and he and Joyce had met at a youth camp. They gave back in Kenya by initiating Battalion and Cadette youth mentoring programs. Roger and Joyce also developed an eight year, graded Bible curriculum used in primary schools across Kenya. In 1973 Roger was asked to join the leadership team of the Association of Evangelicals in Africa. When asked, Roger stepped up to lead the establishment of two accredited graduate schools of theology in Africa: one in Nairobi, Kenya, and one in Bangui, Central African Republic. In 1979 he and Joyce launched the Christian Learning Materials Center, engaging African curriculum development teams. They worked together in ministry until 1991. Roger's ministry lives on through the youth mentoring initiatives, graduate schools, and learning materials center, which all continue to thrive.

Family was important to Roger. When Joyce was diagnosed with cancer in 1973, he prayed that she would live to see their daughters married and established. God gave them 18 more years together, and Joyce got to enjoy all four of her grandchildren. Joyce's cancer returned and she died in late 1992. That same year, Roger himself was diagnosed with cancer. In early 1993, Roger wrote, “I feel a little like Job, In one year I lost my career, I lost my home in Kenya, I lost my wife and partner in ministry, and I lost my health.”

God was to renew Roger's blessings. In Kenya, Roger and Joyce had been good friends with Jack and Geri Phillips, and the children of both families had grown up together. The families mourned Jack's death in 1990. Roger and Geri were married in 1993 and moved to the the AIM retirement center in Minneola, Florida. For many years, Roger continued to serve part-time with the AIM international office. He and Geri enjoyed traveling to visit their shared children and grandchildren. As Geri developed Alzheimers, Roger's last years were focused on doing all he could to keep his beloved Geri home with him and well cared for. Roger is survived by his wife Geri, his daughters Karen and Tami, and four of Geri's five children, Debby, Rebekah, John, and Peter, as well as 21 grandchildren and 29 great grandchildren. The children will continue to care for Geri at the AIM Retirement Center.

At Roger's request, there will be a small memorial at a time yet to be determined. His family would love to hear from you. Feel free to email your memories of Roger to his daughter Karen at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the AIM Retirement Center where Roger lived for so many years.