February 19, 1968 — June 28, 2024
Charles Edward Coats, 56, of Post Falls, Idaho, passed away suddenly on June 28th, 2024, from cardiac arrest. He died at home beside his beloved wife, Desiree.
Born on February 19, 1968, in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, to Herbert and Jeanne (Doffing) Coats, Charles moved with his family to Seattle, Washington, shortly after his birth. He attended Roosevelt High School, where he distinguished himself as the captain of the wrestling team and as a talented graphic artist. After he graduated in 1986, Charles enrolled at the University of Washington, joining his brother Bill Coats as a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. There Charles earned a B.A. in Business Administration and later received his MBA from Pepperdine University.
In 1993, Charles embraced fatherhood with the birth of his son Joe, a role that brought Charles immense joy throughout his life. In 2008, he met the love of his life, Desiree Clode, eventually marrying in 2011.
Charles enjoyed a successful career in marketing, where he stayed ahead of trends in the technology sector. Early on, he served as a senior marketing and product manager at Microsoft. He later held leadership positions at Posh Consulting and at Centrify. In 2020, Charles relocated to Post Falls, Idaho, where he discovered a passion for local politics. There he leveraged his marketing skills to create traditional political print ads and social media videos for local campaigns, playing a pivotal role in securing seats for three candidates.
Charles was widely known for his humor and good cheer. It was through his unique wit and funny antics that he elicited smiles wherever he went. Even bigger than his sense of humor was his heart. He truly loved his family – and if you knew him, you knew it. When people needed help, he was there. Alongside his wife he took in and lovingly cared for both his mother and his mother-in-law for years through their illnesses. When his sister hit a rough patch, he drove a U-Haul across the country to Louisiana, enduring the August heat to help move furniture into her new apartment.
Charles is survived by his wife, Desiree Coats of Post Falls, ID; his son and daughter-in-law, Joe Coats and Evie Weigel of Seattle; his father, Herbert Coats of Seattle; his siblings, William Coats and his wife, Katherine Mauchamer of Burien, WA; and Susan Coats of Hammond, LA. He was preceded in death by his mother, Jeanne Coats.
Charles’ death was sudden and unexpected. He had so much left to do and so many more smiles to elicit. He touched the hearts of many, and his loss leaves a profound void. He will be sorely missed and forever remembered.
A memorial service in Charles’ honor will take place on Friday, August 9, 2024 at 11:00 am at Bell Tower Funeral Home in Post Falls ID. Please visit Charles’ online memorial and sign his guestbook at www.belltowerfuneralhome.com
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