William Coffenberry

William “Bill” Harris Coffenberry, 85, of Bettendorf, died Friday, December 21, 2012 at his home.

A memorial service to celebrate his life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 29, 2012 at Asbury United Methodist Church in Bettendorf. Visitation will be from 10: 00 a.m. until the time of services on Saturday.  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Riverbend Food Pantry or to The V Foundation for cancer research. McGinnis-Chambers Funeral Home in Bettendorf is assisting the family with arrangements.

Born on October 18, 1927 in Crawfordsville, IN, Bill was the son of Walter and Mary (Smith) Coffenberry. On November 27, 1954 in Croswell, MI, he married Jeanette “Jan” McDowell.

Following high school, Bill enlisted in the United States Army and was stationed in the Philippines for one and a half years. He attended Indiana University for two years and then was called back to service and served his country during the Korean Conflict. After his discharge from the Army, Bill finished his bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and went on to earn his master’s in business at the University of Chicago.

Bill retired as the Chief of the Cost/Price Division at the Rock Island Arsenal and had over 35 years of government service. Bill and Jan were members of Asbury United Methodist Church in Bettendorf where Bill had taught a social issues class. He was a member of the Scottish American Society, where he served as president and started a newsletter titled “The Porridge Pot” which he wrote from a number of years that included local events and Scottish humor and history. Bill was also a member of Bettendorf VFW Post 9128 and enjoyed reading. He was an avid Civil War buff and enjoyed his volunteer work with Habitat for Humanity, being one of the first volunteers in the Quad Cities. Bill and Jan had a deep love for travelling, visiting every continent with the exception of Anarctica. He loved Indiana University basketball, which would always brighten his day. Bill had a deep love for his family, cherishing his time spent with his children and grandchildren.

Those left to honor his memory include his wife, Jan; son, Bill (Theresa) Coffenberry of Colorado Springs, CO; daughter, Cathie (Eric) Hofmann of Aledo; six grandchildren, Josh, Jamie, Brandon, David, Catelyn and Nate; one great-grandson, Caden; one brother-in-law, Bob McDowell of Sterling Heights, MI and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Walter and Robert.