Dorothy Coffield

Dorothy Verneal Troxel Coffield, 87, a long-time teacher at Cotteral Elementary School, passed away on the morning of November 25, 2015, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, after an extended illness. Memorial Service: 10 a.m., Saturday, December 5, 2015, at Stewart Baxter Funeral & Memorial Services, Cedar Rapids. Interment at the family plot in Blanchard, Oklahoma. Mrs. Coffield, known to her friends as Neal, was born on April 23, 1928, in Norman, Oklahoma to Joseph and Rachel Troxel. She received her Bachelor's Degree from Oklahoma College for Women, and her Masters Degree in Reading Disabilities from Central State University. She was born to teach. She married Leo J. Coffield on April 20, 1951. The mobility of his military career afforded her the opportunity to teach in many areas of the United States, and in Japan. She was among the first wave of women who had both a career and a family, when teachers were expected to become homemakers after marriage. Her last teaching position was in Guthrie Public Schools, in Guthrie, Oklahoma, where she pioneered new reading disability technology. Mrs. Coffield was also a member of the First Baptist Church of Guthrie. Her interests included her family, gardening, canning, quilting, reading, teaching, and traveling. Her favorite flower was the yellow rose. Her favorite color was aqua. Her favorite Bible verse was John 10:28. Mrs. Coffield is survived by Leo, her husband of 64 years; her siblings Nadine (Jim) Maloy, of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and Richard Troxel, of Blaine Minnesota; her son, David L. (Kecia) Coffield, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and her daughter Cynthia L. (Nathan) Lewis of Lascassas, Tennessee. She will forever live in the hearts of her five granddaughters, Jenny (Clayton) Vincent, April (Greg) Sharp, Allie Deleon, Casey (Chris) Amante, and Chloe Lewis; her five great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews; all of whom remember her as someone who always had a smile, a hug, and a warm home (with lots of cookies), where everyone could relax, laugh, and play. She was preceded in death by her infant son, Jon Forrest Coffield; her brothers Clifford, Vester, Virgil, and J.B. Troxel; and her sister Imogene Troxel.