ARLAND BERNARD COLEMAN
July 7, 1931 - July 10, 2022
Arland Coleman was born in Huntington Beach, California on July 7, 1931 to Melba May Worsham Coleman and Gerard Bernard Coleman. They moved to Houston in 1934 where he attended St. Anne Elementary and St. Thomas High School, graduating in 1949. He attended Rice University, the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Houston, graduating with an MSME in 1953. He married Barbara Jean Vaughn on December 26, 1953.
Arland started working at Bowen Oil Tools at age 13 on the shop floor and Victory Garden, working his way up to a top executive position. After retiring from Bowen, he pursued ranching, investing and assisted with the startup and early days of Vaughn Construction.
He was a renaissance man who loved cars, travelling, history, good food and wine, and appreciated every sunset. He was an inventor with patents, a painter, jewelry and furniture maker and a true handyman. In his 91 years, people of all ages and backgrounds learned from his example of hard work, generosity, excellent story-telling, goofy sense of humor and his unwavering faith.
We are all inspired by Arland and his wife of 69 years, Barbara, who he described as the love of his life and who was holding his hand when he died. As a husband, son, father, grandfather and greatgrandfather, he was fiercely loyal, loving and protective.
He is survived by his wife Barbara and:
Daughters and sons-in-law: Balyn and Carlos Uzcategui, Cindy Nichols, Darri and Dwaine Ofczarzak, Elise and Steve Hough, Francel and Jim Gray, Gina Curry, and Heather and Mike Simpson;
Grandchildren and their spouses: Meline Uzcategui Pineda and Camilo Pineda, Lily Uzcategui Prado and Julio Prado, Gerard Uzcategui, Arland and Cindy Nichols, Walter and Jill Nichols, Wendy Nichols Hernandez and Luis Hernandez, Braden and Darcy Nichols, Daryn Ofczarzak, Connor and Sarah Carrigan, Sheldon Gray, Davis Gray, Spencer Gray, Rebecca Curry Wilcox and Charles Wilcox, Coleman and Ivy Curry, Kendall Simpson Allcorn and William Allcorn and Abby Simpson; and,
Great-grandchildren: Ann Elise and Nicolas Prado; Joseph, Mary Catherine, Thomas, Therese, Bernadette, Michael, Dominic, Peter and Emilia Nichols; Landon, Logan, Atalie and Brylee Nichols; Aidan Tennant, Emma and Adeline Hernandez; Mary Margaret, Sara Beth and Braden Nichols; and Micah Carrigan.
Arland is also survived by his sister, Nelda Coleman Wilkomirski, and by sister-inlaw Cheryl Neef Vaughn and her children: Thomas Vaughn and wife Suzanne; William Vaughn and wife Rebecca; and Michael Vaughn. He is pre-deceased by his parents Melba and GB Coleman and the world’s greatest brotherin-law, Joe Vaughn.
The entire family would like to thank Marisela Frias, Tim Guzman, MD Anderson and Houston Hospice for their help, support and special care during his illness.
A Funeral Rosary Service will be held at St. Anne Catholic Church at 10:00 a.m. Friday, July 15th with a Mass and Celebration of Life immediately following the Rosary.
In lieu of flowers, Arland asked that donations be made to Easter Seals Houston www.eastersealshouston.org; Houston Hospice www.houstonhospice.org or St. Thomas High School www.sths.org.
Arland’s was a life well lived and he was a man well loved. He was truly a gentle man.