Dear Friends,
On behalf of the Coats Rose family and the Houston legal community, we would like to express our sincere condolences for the loss of our partner, colleague and friend, William M. “Bill” Coats.
In the office, Bill was a Director, a member of the firm’s Executive Committee and head of the 25-member Construction/Surety Section within Coats Rose. But he was much more than that to each of us – a valued and trusted friend, teacher and a caring and devoted community leader.
During his years in the legal field, Bill enjoyed unparalleled success through hard work, dedication and an astute business sense. Because of his leadership and innovation, the firm has grown from a single location to six offices with practice groups spanning areas never contemplated at the time of the firm’s founding in 1981. We owe much of our firm’s integrity, leadership, and values to Bill. He will forever live in our hearts and minds as we continue his legal mission with the sense of decency and ethics in which he so ardently believed.
Bill was also a dedicated family man and community member, working closely with Trees for Houston, a nonprofit group he co-founded in 1982, as well as many other organizations over the years such as Scenic Houston, Hermann Park Conservancy, Houston Community College Foundation and Quality of Life. His passion for improving the lives of those around him was unrivaled. Bill leaves behind his wife, Nancy, four children and three grandchildren, in addition to many other loving relatives.
A memorial service for Bill Coats will be held at the Hermann Park Train Station, Wednesday, May 26 at 7 p.m. For those wishing to make gifts in Bill's memory, please contribute to Friends of Hermann Park, 6201-A, Hermann Park Dr., Houston, TX 77030 or visit www.hermannpark.org.