JABEZ COGGAN II

Jabez Kyle Coggan II Port St. John Jabez Kyle Coggan II, 78, of Port St. John, Florida died Friday, July 29, 2011 at his home. Jabez was born on October 4, 1932 in Sailor Springs, Illinois. Jabez served in the U.S. Army for two years and attended the University of Illinois on the GI bill. As a young man in Clay County, Illinois, Jabez was a member of the Young Democrats and was President of the Rotary. His family entertained as a song & dance team in towns around southern Illinois.

On Valentines Day in 1963, he married Linda Miller of Congerville, Illinois. Jabez worked his family farm in Sailor Springs and as a jet fueler for American Airlines at OHare Airport in Chicago before moving to Brevard County with his family in 1967. He moved to Florida to join the space boom and worked 12 years in security at KSC (Wackenhut).

He later worked in shuttle inventory for McDonnell Douglas and drove a KSC Tour Bus for more than 18 years. Jabez loved being a part of the history of the space program and has passed out thousands of souvenir coins to anyone he met. Up until his passing, he enjoyed and looked forward to monthly get-togethers with former KSC security guards and bus drivers.

Jabez was deeply interested in historic preservation and made significant progress in restoring dozens of buildings in his hometown of Sailor Springs, IL even getting his project listed in the Illinois Tourism Guide in 1982. Back in Florida, he worked toward displaying his extensive antique and space collection before twice being burned out by wildfires in North Brevard. Jabez is responsible for naming Challenger Lake and is the namesake of Jabez Road near Hwy 5A in North Brevard.

Jabez was a past member of the Brevard County Democratic Committee, Brevard Historical Society; was a charter member and past Commander of the KSC American Legion; and was a former Assistant Fire Chief of the Four Communities Volunteer Fire Department in Sharpes.

Jabez was preceded in death by his parents, Jabez and Elizabeth Bunn Coggan and his sister, Bertie Lenny.

He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Linda Miller Coggan; children, Jabez (Cheryl) Coggan III of Port St. John, Myra (John) Banerian of Alpharetta, GA, and Manliff (Lisa) Coggan of Maitland; grandchildren, Jaclyn of Titusville, Maia serving in the Navy in Yokosuka, Japan, Jabez IV of Port St. John, Coggan and Cadyn of Al pharetta, GA; sister, Bonnie Milliner of Lake Worth, FL; and several nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Brevard Community Care or Kennedy Space Center American Legion Post 332.

A viewing will be held from 6-8 pm Tuesday at North Brevard Funeral Home. The Burial will be on Wednesday in South Flori da National Cemetery. Please sign Jabezs online guestbook at www.northbrevardfuneralhome.com.