1925 - 2007
Married: Celia DePriest Coley
Children: Catherine Coley Melear, John William Coley
4 Grandchildren
William H. Coley was the second of two sons of O.M. and Maude Coley of Westmoreland, Tennessee. He was raised on a diversified family farm, including diary, livestock, tobacco, row crops, and hay. Bill Coley graduated from Westmoreland High School in 1944 where he was Senior Class President, was involved in the Future Farmers of America and was awarded the Middle Tennessee Star Farmer award.
Bill Coley enrolled in the University of Tennessee College of Agriculture in the fall of 1945. While at UT, he was active in the AG Club, served as treasurer of the All Students Club, and was a member of the Scarabbean Society. Like many students at the time, Mr. Coley worked a variety of jobs to support his education, including as a server in a boarding house and a milker at the UT dairy.
Upon graduating from the University of Tennessee in 1948, Mr. Coley was hired as the Vocational Agriculture teacher at McMinnville High School. While there he met his future bride, Celia DePriest. After two years of teaching at McMinnville High School, Mr. Coley was drafted into the United States Army and served with the 45th Infantry Division in the Korean Conflict.
Bill Coley returned from military service in 1952 and was hired to fill the position of Vocational Agriculture teacher at Mt. Juliet High School. A year later he married Celia DePriest, and they lived the remainder of their lives in Mt. Juliet. Mrs. Coley also served as a teacher, first as an elementary teacher at Dodson Chapel Elementary School, later as a home economics teacher at Mt. Juliet High School, and finally as an elementary teacher at West Elementary School.
The Coleys raised two children, Catherine Coley Melear, now Professor of Child Development at Black Hawk College in Moline, Illinois, and John William (wife, Betty) Coley who is an attorney in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Coleys were grandparents to Carolyn and Will Coley and step-grandchildren, Eric and Rachel Melear.
Bill Coley taught vocational agriculture at Mt. Juliet High School from 1952 until 1965. During his years as Mt. Juliet’s agriculture teacher, Mr. Coley especially enjoyed working with the students in their FFA activities including public speaking, leadership development, agriculture skills training, dairy and livestock judging, and attendance at numerous camps, state and national conventions and other field trips. Mr. Coley’s students were regular exhibitors at county and state fairs and won numerous FFA contests, degrees, and officer elections. The opportunity to work with students and their families and the life-long friendships that followed was the great joy and privilege of his life.
Mr. Coley left teaching in 1965 when he was appointed Area Supervisor for Vocational Education in Tennessee. Throughout the remainder of his career as a Supervisor of Vocational Education for the Tennessee Department of Education, Mr. Coley remained involved with student activities, particularly through the FFA. After his retirement in 1990, Mr. Coley continued his involvement in agriculture by volunteering his time in support of the local FFA chapters and their various activities and events.
Bill Coley served as director of the Wilson County Farm Bureau, was past president of the Mt. Juliet Kiwanis Club, Wilson County Teachers Association and Retired Teachers Association. He also served as a commissioner of the West Wilson Utility District. Bill and Celia Coley were members of Cloyd’s Cumberland Presbyterian Church where Mr. Coley served as a Sunday School Teacher, Elder and Trustee.
In his retirement, Bill Coley enjoyed gardening and tending to his hens to supply himself, his family and friends with fresh vegetables, flowers and eggs. Mr. Coley was a big sports fan. He loved the University of Tennessee and was a particularly avid supporter of high school sports at Mt. Juliet. He especially enjoyed the activities of his grandchildren and traveling with family and friends.
