William Brent Coates

William Brent Coates, 63, of Lee County, GA, died February 8, 2025 from injuries received in a single automobile accident. A funeral service will be held Wednesday, February 12, 2025 at 2:00 pm in the chapel of Sherwood Baptist Church. Rev. John Spencer will officiate. A private interment will follow in Crown Hill Cemetery. 

Brent was born in Ft. Gaines, GA to the late Richard Leon Coates, Sr. and Bobbie Nell Weems Coates on September 25, 1961. He grew up in Clay County, GA and graduated from Clay County High School where he was a member of The Tennis Team and Baseball Team. He continued his education and sports at Wallace Community College in Dothan, AL where he was awarded a scholarship in Tennis. 

Brent farmed on the family farm as a boy until his college years and a little after. Brent started out in 1981 in the finance business as a manager and worked there for several years. He later moved on to work as the VP of a mobile home company and then at the Albany Herald. Brent moved to Albany, GA in 2008 where he owned and operated a CDL Training School until 2015 and then was employed as the Safety Director for a local farmer. He most recently had been employed with O’Reilly Auto Parts. Brent was an avid Bulldog Fan and he and his wife were members of Sherwood Baptist Church and The Harvest Sunday School Class. 

Survivors include his wife, Shirley Mote Coates of Lee County, GA, a daughter, Karisma (Cullen) Rouse of Albany, GA and his siblings, Sharon (Gary) Hunt of Blakely, GA, Richard Leon (Pam) Coates, Jr. of Andalusia, AL. The family will receive friends Wednesday from 1:00 pm until 2:00 pm in The Atrium of Sherwood Baptist Church. 

Those desiring can make memorials in memory of Brent to The American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 6704, Hagerstown, MD or to The American Heart Association, 7272 Greenville Ave., Dallas, TX, 75231.