Cover photo for Ben E. Coleman's Obituary
Ben E. Coleman Profile Photo

Ben E. Coleman

July 14, 1926 — April 15, 2019

Ben E. Coleman

Ben E. Coleman died peacefully on April 15, 2019. Visitation will be from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Friday, April 19, 2019 at Rose-Neath Funeral Home at 1815 Marshall Street, Shreveport, Louisiana, followed by a graveside service Friday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. in the old Minden Cemetery. Officiating will be Reverend Joe Koskie. Ben was born July 14, 1926 in Shreveport, Louisiana and was a graduate of C. E. Byrd High School and Louisiana State University Law School. While at LSU he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity and served as its Eminent Archon in 1944. He practiced law for more than 60 years in Shreveport and Northwest Louisiana, with his last partnership being Coleman and Mayo. Ben and his late wife, Lydia Coleman, were long time members of St. Paul's Episcopal Church where he served on the Vestry and as a Lay Reader for 25 years. He was very involved in his community throughout most of his life, joining and serving in various capacities in organizations. A veteran of both World War II and the Korean War, he served as Commander of Lowe McFarlane Post 14 of the American Legion and as Chef de Gare of Voiture 137 of 40 & 8 during his lifetime. Ben served as the first Chairman of the Caddo Parish Indigent Defender Board. He served again as Chairman in 1976 when he was recognized by the American Bar Association as one of ten outstanding Indigent Defender Programs in the nation. He was a member of the Shreveport Bar Association served as President in 1980 and was a past President of Friends of the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum. He was a member of the Rotary Club of Shreveport for over 30 years and was a Paul Harris Fellow. He served as Chairman of Metropolitan Shreveport Zoning Board of Appeals. Ben was also involved in lake property development on Lake Claiborne and spent many happy weekends there, where he and Lydia worshiped at Wesley Chapel. He was also a lifelong LSU Tiger football fan. He was preceded in death by his loving wife, Lydia Coleman; his father, Ben E. Coleman, Sr.; his mother Mildred Coleman Rives; his sister, Kathleen Coleman Collins; his brother-in-law, Jim Collins; his nephew, Bennett Collins; and his stepfather, Felix Rives. He is survived by his daughter, Nancy Coleman Cowie and her husband Graham and their children, Andrew and Allison of Brentwood, TN; niece, Kay Collins Barnett of Lake Charles, LA; two brothers- in- law, Richard David of Homer, LA and Bert David and wife Liz, and nephews Bill David and Brad David, all of Dallas, TX. The family would like to extend their grateful appreciation to The Health Center at Live Oak and The Regional Hospice Care Group for their care and compassion. The family suggests memorials may be made to the charity of the donor's choice.
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