IN MEMORIAM
Daniel E. Coons, 86; CCS Coach,
Taught At SUNY Oneonta, Del State
KINGSTON – Daniel E. Coons, who coached football at Cooperstown Central and taught at SUNY Oneonta before going on to a career at Delaware State University, passed away at his home on May 3, 2017, surrounded by family.
A flying enthusiast, he was a founder of and an inductee in the Delaware Aviation Hall of Fame.
He was born Oct. 6, 1932, in Kingston, to Russell T. and Mildred A. (Rittie) Coons. He was raised in Stamford, and graduated from Stamford Central School. He attended Champlain College before receiving his bachelor’s degree from Harper College (SUNY Binghamton). He received his master’s degree and doctorate of education from SUNY Albany.
He served in the Army overseas during the Korean War era.
Upon returning to the states, he taught history and coached football from 1958 to 1968 at Cooperstown Central School where he was beloved by his students.
It was as a teacher and mentor that Dan found his true calling. He went on to teach at SUNY Oneonta before moving to Dover, Del., as director of libraries & learning resources at Delaware State University. In 1987, Dan combined his love of teaching with his passion for flying and founded the Airway Science Department at Delaware State, and continued to serve as the aviation program director until retiring for the first time in 1992.
Following this retirement, he moved to Cairo, Egypt, for two years, where he worked through a USAID grant to oversee the construction of the Egyptian National Agricultural Library. He then returned to chair Del State’s aviation department, 1995-1997, and continued parttime until 2006.
In 1985, he married JoAnn (Kakos) Coons, the love of his life. They formed an inseparable partnership during their 32 years of marriage, travelling the world and embarking on great adventures.
His greatest legacy may be the creation of the Del State aviation program, which provides opportunities to minority students in a field rarely available to them and which produces a large number of professional pilots. “Doc,” as he was called by his students, had a deep love and admiration for his students, who continued to stay in touch throughout his life and who he fondly referred to as his “kids.”
In 2003, he was honored by Kent County as an educator of distinction. He was a founding member of the Delaware Aviation Hall of Fame, which honored him with induction to the Hall in 2011. In 2011, he was recognized by the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP) for his contributions to the education of black pilots. He was honored by the Tuskegee Airmen with the first Lemuel E Curtis Award for his service to minority pilots. He served as president of the Kent County (Del.) Chapter of the Korean War Vets for several years.
He is survived by his wife JoAnn and his children Daniel E. Coons (Cassie) of Wolfeboro, N.H., Kim M. Coons (Morton Korn) of Nyack, Candace Coons Snyder of Madison, N.J., and stepchildren Karen Furlong Shemwell (Charlie) of Santa Clara, Calif., and Robert Furlong (Ann Hicks) of Muncie, Ind.. He is also survived by his beloved grandchildren Matthew Coons, Bradley Coons, Jennifer Meanley, Brian Meanley, Ben Korn, Hannah Korn, Garrett Snyder, Julian Snyder, Gabe Luke, TJ Luke, Alice Luke, Kate Shemwell, Sam Shemwell, Leo Furlong, and Esther Furlong.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Dr. Daniel E. Coons Endowed Scholarship. Checks can be made to Delaware State University Foundation and mailed to Dr. Daniel E Coons Endowed Scholarship/Delaware State University Foundation, 1200 North DuPont Hwy, Dover, DE 19901. For more information, contact the Division of Institutional Advancement at (302) 857-6055.
A Celebration of Life will take place at 3 p.m. May 20 at the Delaware Airpark, 127 Durham Lane, Dover, DE 19904 (Cheswold, DE.)
