Perhaps the art of the “news obit” has been lost. Perhaps, in this day and age of instant communication and technology, memory has been lost. Incredible people die each day in our community, and nobody seems to notice, or even pause to remember the contributions of people.
Loyal reader Bulldog pointed out this newspaper obituary, which certainly should garner some notice. G. John Coli was a chemical engineer who came to Asheville and ended up leading probably the biggest and most influential local industry of its time, American Enka.
As if that weren’t enough, upon his retirement, Coli “volunteered his time serving as president and chief operating officer for St. Joseph’s Health Service Corporation for almost 20 years.”
Did you get that? The man volunteered his time running St. Joseph’s. Incredible.
Asheville – G. John Coli Ph.D., 86, died Wednesday, April 16, 2008, at John F. Keever Jr. Solace Center after a brief illness. He was the son of Guido and Rena Coli, a native of Richmond, Va. and a resident of Asheville since 1972.
Coli enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1941, where he used his intellectual skills to conduct wartime chemical research for the Office of Naval Research in Washington, D.C., for which he received a Citation from the Secretary of the Navy, James Forrestal. After the war, he went on to pursue graduate degrees, receiving an M.S. and Ph.D. in chemical engineering. Coli began his professional career with Mobil Oil in Paulsboro, N.J. He began working for Allied Chemical Corporation in 1950, which enabled him to move back to his hometown of Richmond, Va.
In 1968, the Virginia Press Association presented Coli with its coveted Virginian of the Year Award for his work in the business arena in Virginia.
In 1963, Coli relocated to New York with Allied Chemical where he was a group vice president from 1963 until 1970 and a director from 1970 to 1972.
He joined American Enka Co. in 1972 and became its president in 1979. In 1982, he was named president and chief executive officer of Akzo America Inc., a position he held until he retired in 1986.
Upon his retirement he volunteered his time serving as president and chief operating officer for St. Joseph’s Health Service Corporation for almost 20 years. At the same time he made substantial financial contributions to the hospital, which were recognized by the naming of the 14-bed Coli Critical Center on the St. Joseph campus.
John, with his wife Vonda, supported the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, the United Way of Western North Carolina, the University of North Carolina at Asheville and the Asheville Humane Society.
Coli served on the Governor’s Board in Virginia when it merged Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia to form Virginia Commonwealth University. He was instrumental in the naming of that institution. Dr. Coli will be posthumously inducted into the Academy of Engineering Excellence at Virginia Tech and will receive this award on May 1, 2008.
Dr. Coli is survived by his wife of 24 years, Vonda L. Coli, of Asheville; three daughters and two sons-inlaw, Pamela Coli, of Belmont, N.C., Patricia and Thomas McMahon, of Baltimore, Md. and Deborah and Kenneth Black, of Richmond, Va.; one stepdaughter and son-in-law, Rebecca and Bruce Gray, of McLean, Va. He is also survived by two grandchildren, Sina Cook, of Baltimore, Md. and Christopher Coli McMahon, of Boston, Mass. and two great grandchildren, Hunter and Samuel Cook, of Baltimore. Dr. Coli is preceded in death by his only son, John Richard Coli.
A Memorial service will be at 11 a.m. on Monday at St. Eugene’s Catholic Church with Father John Schneider officiating. A reception will be held in the social hall following the service. A private interment will take place at St. Eugene’s Columbarium.
Memorials may be made to Care Partners Hospice Foundation, P.O. Box 25338, Asheville, N.C., 28813.
Morris Funeral Home, 304 Merrimon Ave., is in charge of the arrangements. Condolences may be sent through the website at www.Morrisfamilyfuneralho me.com.
2 Comments
I remember my father, Daniel John Coli who died March 17, 1980 talking kindly about his cousin Guido. I personally do not remember ever meeting him but I most likely did when I was very young. I found the obit today while looking around the Internet. I also found a picture of him on the Internet and the family resemblance is stunning. Anyway I will say some prayers to Our Lady for the repose of his soul. Robert F. Coli – Culpeper, Va.
MY NEPHEW, ROBERT COLI, FORWARDED A COPY OF THE OBITUARY OF MY HUSBAND’S (WHO DIED SOME YEARS AGO) COUSIN, GUIDO JOHN COLI WHO’S OBIT IS LISTED HERE. JOHN’S MOTHER RENA AND I WERE GOOD FRIENDS YEARS AGO. SHE WAS A HUMBLE, HARD WORKING LADY, WHO WAS SO VERY PROUD OF HER SON!!! I REMEMBER THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF JOHN’S LEAVING ALLIED CHEMICAL SINCE HE WAS A VERY, VERY BUSY
MAN, WE LOST TRACK AFTER AUNT RENA DIED. SHE KEPT US UP TODATE ON JOHN’S BUSY LIFE.
IT’S NICE TO KNOW OF ALL THE OTHER RELATIVES. IF SOMEONE HAS TIME, IT WOULD BE NICE TO HEAR HOW EVEWRYONE IS DOING.