William Herston Coker

William "Bill" Herston Coker, 84, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, died peacefully at home on Saturday, October 21, 2017. Bill was born November 19, 1932, in Miami, Florida, to Thomas and Mary (Lansford) Coker. He graduated from Fort Lauderdale High School in 1950, earning accolades for his giftedness with the trombone. Bill travelled with the Flying L’s band to perform in Cuba, started his own band, playing local venues. It has been said that Bill never met a stranger, and his engaging personality paved the way for a long career in sales, first in the insurance business, later in the lumber industry. Bill was well respected and his natural leadership skills were evident throughout other areas of his life: serving as coach to his son's sports teams in their childhood years, elder to his church family, president of the community in which he lived, and, most importantly to Bill, as leader/mentor/supporter of his family. While Bill appreciated and took seriously his role as father, he took deep joy in being a grandfather and, later, great grandfather. He consistently sought to model Christ’s example of being a servant leader to his family, and devoted himself to intercessory prayer for his family in these last years. Bill is survived by his four children, Michael Coker, Jimmy Coker and his wife, Christine Coker, truly Bill's "other daughter," Karen Prince and her husband Tommy Prince, Susan Linzey, his five grandchildren (Daniel Elwell, Daniel Guevara, Megan Hansen, Kaitlyn Coker, and Matthew Coker) twelve great-grandchildren (Haley Hansen-Young, Daniel Elwell, Ivy Guevara, Benjamin Elwell, Francesca Guevara, Sara Elwell, Mary Elwell, David Guevara, Rory Hansen-Shpak, Anna Elwell, Holly Elwell, and Joseph Elwell), his sister, Mary Ida Lamb, seven nieces and nephews and their extended families. Bill was preceded in death by two sons Billy Coker and Danny Coker, and his brother Tom Coker.  A service to celebrate his life will be held at 12:00 noon on Saturday, November 4, 2017, at T. M. Ralph Plantation Funeral Home, 7001 NW 4th Street, Plantation, FL, 33317. Family will welcome friends to join them in sharing remembrances prior to and after the service, from 10:00-noon, then 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Plantation Baptist Church specifically for planting of a living memorial tree for Bill Coker.