Rev. Robert Paul Coffman, 78, of Oak Park, died on Jan. 27, 2016 at home where he was in hospice care after a long battle with squamous cell cancer and myasthenia gravis. Born in Omaha, Nebraska on Aug. 30, 1937, he moved with his family to Port Arthur, Texas when he was 6. He went to Texas A&M for his B.A. degree and McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago where he earned a B.D. (now M. Div.) degree in 1963.
He was married to Pauline for 52 years. They met while both were students at McCormick Seminary. They were married the day after he graduated, in the chapel at McCormick (then at Fullerton and Halsted), and the next day the chapel was torn down to make way for new construction. That corner is now the DePaul University music building where their son, Tim, teaches in the jazz department.
Ordained as a Presbyterian minister by the Presbytery of Brazos in Fort Worth, Texas, he went on to serve churches in East Texas; Baltimore, Maryland; and several churches in the Chicago area, including Elmwood Park, Marquette Park, Oak Lawn, and Willow Springs. He continued supplying pulpits after retirement, notably at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Northlake. He loved serving the church, especially engaging people in the study of the Bible, and talked often about the experience of living and working in an interracial neighborhood of Dallas where he served during the Civil Rights era. A favorite part of each Sunday was “Sermon Talk-Back” where members got to challenge him on anything he had said and to ask questions. He was particularly adept at explaining theological concepts in plain terms, often with a Texas twang. About the church, he once wrote: “We dare to believe that God is patient and present in our clumsy, all-too-human, often crazy churches and that Christ’s love embraces us and makes life important.”
Rob Coffman is survived by his wife, Pauline; his sons, Timothy John (Becky) and Thomas Robert (Daria); his grandchildren, Dan, Sarah, Sade, Kyra, and Zach; his brother, Stewart Coffman; and a large, extended family. His remains were handled by the Cremation Society of Illinois, and a private interment will be held at First United Church of Oak Park for the immediate family.
A memorial service will be held on Sunday, Feb. 28, at 2 p.m. at the church. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to First United Church of Oak Park (www.firstunitedoakpark.com), marked for mission travel scholarships, or to St. Luke United Presbyterian Church, 5915 Singing Hills Drive, Dallas, Texas, 75241 in tribute to all that St. Luke taught his family.