Jo Wynn (Ekern) Coats

After many years of struggle with diabetes as well as
kidney and liver disease, our beloved mother and friend to
many, Jo Wynn (Ekern) Coats, was embraced by eternal
love and peace on July 3, 2024 surrounded by her family
and dedicated Hospice nurses at her home in Euless, Texas.
Jo Wynn is survived by her brother, Paul Bax Ekern;
son, Dr. Steven Coats; son-in-law, Travis Miller; daughter,
Michelle DeWoody; son-in-law, David DeWoody;
granddaughters, Ashley Singh and Brianna Singh; her
nieces and nephews, Bax Ekern, Stephanie Kolban, Brant
Ekern, and Henri Naylor; as well as, many extended
members of the Ekern family from the homestead in
Missouri and around the country.
Jo Wynn was born in Crowell, Texas on Nov. 12, 1946 to her proud parents,
Herbert “Bert” Nelson Ekern and Francis Henri Ekern. Also eager to welcome her
into the family were her brother and her grandparents, the late Worsham Baxter
Johnson and Lilas Wenonah Johnson.
Jo Wynn was raised in a close-knit family of ranchers in Crowell, Texas where she
grew up in the Christian faith tradition, excelled in her early public school education,
enjoyed cheerleading and playing basketball, and thrived socially with peers and
her elders. She also had a strong bond with her grandfather and often spoke lovingly
of him and how he spoiled her – always giving her money to go buy her favorite
ice cream or other treats. Jo Wynn’s family life would not have been complete
without the teasing, practical jokes, and love she experienced with her brother – a
relationship that endured throughout her life.
In 1968, she married Mike Coats of Quanah, Texas and they had two children.
Ultimately, Jo Wynn raised her children as a strong, resilient single parent. She was
not concerned with fame or fortune; she simply wanted to be a devoted mother. She
raised her children in Vernon, Texas where the rest of her family lived including her
parents, grandmother, brother, sister-in-law, the late Beth Ekern, and her two nieces
and two nephews. Jo Wynn brought up her children in the First United Methodist
Church of Vernon and the excellent public schools of Vernon. Surrounded by her
family and many close friends, she enjoyed a wonderful life of joy and community.
Jo Wynn’s undergraduate education was completed through Stephen’s College
and the University of North Texas, and she completed a bachelor’s degree in
education with an emphasis in mathematics and special education. She then began
what would become a 30-year career teaching mathematics to the most vulnerable
and challenging youth from across Texas through residential placements at North
Texas State Hospital and the Texas Youth Commission. In addition to that full-time
teaching, she tutored many youth of Vernon in high school algebra and calculus and
occasionally taught undergraduate college algebra courses. She retired in 2001 and
relocated to the Dallas area where she lived with her daughter, son-in-law, and her
two granddaughters.
In the latter part of Jo Wynn’s life, she loved being retired and often spoke of
not having a schedule tying her down every day. Instead, she delighted in helping
to raise her two granddaughters and watching them become lovely young ladies
who, now, are attending college. She also enjoyed maintaining her close friendships
with long-time friends and new ones that she met almost everywhere she went –
restaurants, grocery stores, hair salons, and the hospital/rehabilitation facilities where
she received such good healthcare. Jo Wynn did not seem to know a stranger; and,
she welcomed the opportunity to meet new people – always asking them questions
about themselves and taking the time to get to know them. To the end of her life, Jo
Wynn spoke with her children and granddaughters every day; she treated others as
she would want them to treat her; and, she appreciated her life.
The funeral for Jo Wynn will be held on Saturday, July 13, 2024 at 10 a.m. at the
Sullivan Funeral Home Chapel located at 1801 Houston Street in Vernon, Texas.
After the service, all who wish may join the procession to the cemetery in Crowell,
Texas where Jo Wynn will be laid to rest next to her parents. Services will be
o􀵶 ciated by Rev. Dr. Bob Lee of the United Methodist Church. Due to the excessive
heat, the family invites you to wear cool, comfortable, business casual attire.
Visitation will be Saturday, July 13, 2024 from 9 a.m. until the funeral service
begins.
Memorial gifts may be made to the National Kidney Foundation, American
Diabetes Association, and the Trevor Project.
Online condolences may be made to the family at www.
sullivanfuneralhomevernon.com.