Harry Flood Coffman
Harry Flood Coffman, 80, of Springfield, Virginia, died Tuesday, March 10, 2015, of bone cancer.
Harry was born in Rio, on June 4, 1935. He was the third of nine children born to Lynn T. and Edith C. Hahn Coffman. The family lived in several locations in the Jefferson County region during his childhood and youth, but he claimed Charles Town as his hometown.
He was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church in Alexandria, Virginia.
“Flood” Coffman served as class president at Charles Town High School his freshman, sophomore and junior years. His senior year, he wrote for the sports section of the school newspaper and also arranged the senior class trip to New York City. He graduated in 1953.
After a few semesters at what was then Shepherd College, he volunteered to be drafted. Inducted into the Army in August 1954, he served one year and four months in postwar Korea. He was promoted to disbursing specialist and received the Good Conduct Medal before leaving the Army in May 1956.
Upon returning to Charles Town, he re-enrolled in Shepherd College and ultimately transferred to West Virginia University. At WVU, “Harry” Coffman was inducted into Beta Alpha Psi, the international honor organization for financial information students and professionals, in 1958. He graduated with a B.S. in business administration in 1959.
Harry began a 30-year career with what was then the General Accounting Office on Feb. 2, 1959. He earned his CPA in 1964. He received four awards during his GAO career: the Meritorious Service Award in 1971 for his work on sanitation in meatpacking plants under the control of the USDA; a second Meritorious Service Award in 1980 for his work on labor standards, employees’ compensation, and private pension activities; Outstanding Achievement Award in 1984 for his work on multi-employer pension plans; and a second Outstanding Achievement Award in 1986 for his leadership on the GAO’s financial and management control work and Gramm-Rudman efforts. He was very proud of heading the first independent audit of the IRS.
After retiring from GAO in June 1989, Harry opened a personal income tax preparation business. He closed the business in 2013, due to illness.
Both before and after his GAO career, Harry volunteered at Trinity United Methodist Church in Alexandria. His service included stints as financial secretary and an administrative board member.
To his dying day, Harry Flood Coffman’s greatest joy came from his relationship with his wife, daughters, son-in-law, grandsons and extended family. He took great pleasure in sharing his love of history with those he held dear. Accompanied by his tolerantly amused wife, he took his daughters and then his grandsons to historic sites throughout the country. He was also an avid reader of historical novels. He greatly enjoyed family picnics and gatherings and losing at Scrabble and Hearts to his wife.
He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Elizabeth Kelley Coffman, of Springfield; daughter, Suzanne Coffman, of Williamsburg, Virginia; daughter, Kelley L. Hargreaves, son-in-law, Stephen Hargreaves and grandsons, Alec and Ian Hargreaves, of Centreville, Virginia; brother, Ralph Coffman and Anna, of Leetown; sister, Beverly Coffman, of Leetown; brother, Gary Coffman and Debbie, of Charles Town; and sister, Kay Coffman, of Leetown.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Lynn and Edith Coffman; and his siblings, Betty Jo Mills, Carl Eugene Coffman, Kenneth Denver Coffman, and Phyllis Lynn Coffman.
Services were held at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 14, at Eackles- Spencer & Norton Funeral Home, 256 Halltown Road, Harpers Ferry, with Pastor Lee Brumback officiating. Interment was in Edge Hill Cemetery in Charles Town.
Memorial donations may be made to Trinity United Methodist Church, 2911 Cameron Mills Road, Alexandria, VA 22302.
Condolences to the family may be expressed at www.eackles-spencerfuneralhome.com.