Daniel Irvin Coleman

Daniel Irvin Coleman lived a life shaped by these words from Micah. He was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on November 12, 1953. At 70, Daniel entered into the nearer presence of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the wee hours of the morning, Wednesday, July 3, 2024, following a hard-fought, courageous battle with glioblastoma. His loss has been a painful reality for his family and friends and yet he left us with words of hope and the promise of a full healing in Heaven. Daniel taught us his faith until the end. His kind heart, wonderful sense of humor, love of learning, and attitude of wonder at the world around him will continue to inspire all of those who knew him.

Daniel loved teaching and served as Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Lone Star College-Kingwood for 30 years. He held a PhD in Medical Ethics and a Masters in Theology from Rice University. As a teacher, he was driven by a deep desire for his students to succeed. He loved providing them with creative learning opportunities, such as the time he envisioned and co-created a summer course in which his students studied Henry David Thoreau's "Walden" while they built an actual replica of Thoreau's Walden Pond cabin on the Lone Star College-Kingwood campus. He was grateful to go to work at such a place every day.

Daniel loved his wife, Mitzi, with an exemplary love expressed in words and deeds. It did not diminish in their 49 years of marriage, nor did it fade in the face of his illness. His love extended to his family as a loving brother to his sisters, and a wonderful uncle to his nieces and nephews.

A person of deep faith, Daniel served Christ and his Church in many capacities for many years. He attended Episcopal Church of the Redeemer for 14 years where he taught 4-year olds, directed the Eastwood Bike Center ministry, and served as Senior Warden. He headed The Order of St. Luke healing prayer ministry at St. Martin's Episcopal Church, and for the past 12 years attended Grace Episcopal Church. At Grace, he served as a musician, where he loved playing his 5-string fretless bass; he helped host Grace to Go for 7 years (a morning drive-through free coffee and prayer offering to the public) and, as a lover and scholar of the Bible, he used his knowledge and wisdom to teach adult Sunday School.

Daniel loved nature and was a committed hiker and primitive camper in his earlier years. He enjoyed hiking the Chihuahuan desert, various sites in the Texas Hill Country, and Bandelier in New Mexico. He found great delight in his cat, Cyrus: caring for a colony of community cats, in feeding backyard birds; and in planting and nurturing fruit trees. He desired for his life not only to be successful, but fruitful. He had a life-long love of music, from his teen years singing in the choir and ensemble at Glen Oaks High School and as guitarist in his band, "Duck," with best friends Vincent Monistere and Warren Baker.

He was preceded in death by his father William Daniel Coleman and mother Pearl Manning Coleman, and half-sister Sherry Bennett Dennis, father-in-law Beverly Dale Berger and mother-in-law Jacqueline Doris Daniel Berger, who shared a home with he and Mitzi for the last seven years of her life.

Daniel is survived by his wife, Mitzi Berger Coleman; sisters Shannon Coleman and Daphne Coleman; nieces Dayne Narretta and Traci Falcon and spouse Frank; brother-in-law Stephen Berger and wife Dianne, their sons and spouses Phillip Berger (Tamara Spann) and Eric Berger (Allyson), brother-in-law Mark Berger and wife Kayla, and their daughters and spouses Kelli Springer (Joseph) and Kristi Marionneaux (Shane); and many precious great and great-great nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 20, at 2:00 p.m. at Grace Episcopal Church, 4040 West Bellfort, Houston 77025. In lieu of flowers, please consider giving a gift to Grace Episcopal Church, www.graceinhouston.org or any charity that serves those in need.