Lee Coleman

Lee Barrow Coleman, 74, passed away on January 3, 2025, in Tampa, Florida, surrounded by his friends and family singing worship music until the very end. He was known as “Big Pop” by his beloved grandchildren. Lee and Cathy had just celebrated their 51st wedding anniversary in his hospital suite.

Lee was born in Richmond, Virginia, to James Michael Paschall Coleman, Jr. of Raleigh, North Carolina, and Mary Rebecca Barrow of Zebulon, North Carolina. He grew up in both Richmond and Raleigh. 

 Lee was a skilled athlete in his younger years. After learning the fundamentals of the game from legendary coach Grover Jones at Collegiate Schools of Richmond, Lee played defensive tackle and was co-captain on the 1966 Broughton High School (Raleigh) undefeated football team. He was Parade Magazine’s 1967 Prep All American in football and played for North Carolina in the 1967 Shrine Bowl and the 1968 North Carolina East-West All-Star game.

 Lee then played NCAA Division 1 football as a starting defensive lineman for the University of Tennessee and then for the University of Southern Mississippi. He played for two years at each school. He graduated in 1973 from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg.

 Lee then married Cathy Susan Hurt of Charleston, South Carolina, and had three children. Lee and Cathy met in Charleston during spring break. They were introduced by Cathy’s brother Jerry Garfield Hurt, Jr. 

 Following graduation from the University of Southern Mississippi, Lee coached high school football at Crestview High School, and Ocala’s Vanguard High School, both in Florida. He then coached at Morehead State University in Kentucky as a graduate assistant.

 Following his seven year stint in coaching Lee launched a twenty year career in the interstate trucking industry as supervisor, sales manager and facility manager, with assignments in North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia and South Carolina, where he lived in both Charleston and Awendaw,

 After retirement Lee and Cathy moved to Costa Rica to live. Never to be far from his favorite sport, Lee was Head Coach of the Bulldogs FA, also known as the Dawgs, a Costa Rican American Football team based in San Jose, Costa Rica. Under his leadership the team won Costa Rica’s Super Bowl VI in 2008.

After returning to the United States from Costa Rica to be near their children, Cathy and Lee moved to Hudson, Florida, where they both enjoyed an active life on the Gulf of Mexico.

 Lee is survived by his wife Cathy and their children, Carson Coleman Walker (Randy) of Charleston; James Garfield Coleman (Kelcy) of St. Petersburg; Bailey Coleman Guy of Trenton, Florida; his much-loved grandchildren, Camryn Lee Walker; Reagan Marie Walker; Ella Lee Coleman, and Knox Michael Coleman, plus his brother, James Michael Paschall Coleman, III of Bogalusa, Louisiana.

 Family and friends will gather on Saturday, January 25th at eleven in the morning for a graveside celebration of his life at Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery in Gainesville. Lee said that his final resting place reminded him of his much-loved Awendaw, South Carolina, home.