Eugene Wilson Coates, Jr. ("Charlie", "June Bug" and/or "Cool Poppa Do") as lovingly called by his family and friends was born to the late Eugene and Tinsey Coates, Senior on June 14, 1943 in Jackson, North Carolina. He attended elementary schools in Northampton County, North Carolina and later migrated with his mother to Paterson, New Jersey in 1960. At age nineteen, he married his childhood sweetheart and soul mate, May Garris-Bradley. They had one son. The realization of his deceased mother's words, "Boy, you gonna be sorry you did not finish school. You better stop fooling around and go to school!" and the inability to obtain desired employment haunted him. Determinedly, he went back to Central High School, obtained his high school diploma and soon complete two years of higher education at Rampo College in Mahwah, New Jersey. For six years, he was employed as a Passaic County Sheriff Officer. Later, Eugene became a licensed and certified transmission mechanic from Lincoln Technical Institute, a licensed real estate and licensed insurance salesman from Korvats Real Estate School and a CDL Class A Tractor and Trailer Truck Driver and Courier. He began to study ministry at Northern Baptist School of Religion and at the Hawthrone Bible School prior to his disability retirement. "What Doth Saidth the Lord?" Was his favorite biblical scripture. His favorite gospel song was "Grace and Mercy" which he sang at Madison Square Garden, throughout various churches in New Jersey and the South. He would readily sing "his" song whenever asked to do so by friends, relatives, healthcare workers and nursing home colleagues. Eugene was baptized at Calvary Baptist Church, Paterson, New Jersey and requested to attend "his" church when he was physically and medically able to do so. Eugene Wilson Coates, Jr. quietly bided us farewell on Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at approximately 6:30 a.m. at Riverview Post Sub Acute Center in Paterson, NJ. His loving and caring family members were at his side. He was retired. He was predeceased by his younger sister, Rebecca. Eugene leaves to cherish his memory: his loving son, Douglas M. Garris, Sr.; daughter-in-law, Deanna Garris; former wife, May Garris-Bradley; sister, Helen Smith; brother-in-law, Roger Smith; four grandchildren, Summerlyn, Dexter, Fionna and Doug, Jr.; three great grandchildren, Brenden, Jeremiah and Nila; uncle, JT; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives, lifetime friend, Jack Powell and other friends.