Jean Ann Sinclair

Jean Ann Dorothy Coates Sinclair

Jean Ann Dorothy (Coates) Sinclair died Monday, May 19, 2008, at the age of 89.

Born in London on New Years Day, 1919, she was the only daughter of the late Sir William Coates, Baronet and Lady Coates of Carrickfergus, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. She grew up in Northern Ireland and was educated in England and Paris.

On December 7, 1938, she married T. Roland L. Sinclair, whom she had known all her life. They came to America in 1952 and lived in Indianapolis, where her husband was executive Vice President of Kingan and Co. Later they lived in Florida and came to Virginia in 1959 and farmed at Eldon in Cobham.

When her husband became disabled, they moved to Montserrat, British West Indies, where they lived for many years. While there, Jean worked for the Monarch Butterfly Migration study and also for the Arnold Arboretum, making over 200 drawings of the plants and flowers of the lesser Antilles.

Returning to Virginia in 1981, they lived and gardened in Earlysville, where she was member of Buck Mountain Episcopal Church. She has been a member of the Keswick Garden Club since 1960.

Mr. Sinclair died in 1991 and their only daughter, Margaret Lewis, in 1996. Also predeceasing her was her only brother, Brigadier Sir Frederick Coates.

Jean is survived by two sons, Nicholas Sinclair of Earlysville, and Richard Sinclair and his wife, Marion, of Charleston, West Virginia; and her son-in-law, James Lewis of Florida. She is also survived by seven grandchildren, Patrick and Andrew Sinclair of Earlysville; Elizabeth Castle and her husband, Dr. Jason Castle of Charleston, West Virginia; Dr. Jeff Sinclair and his wife, Renee, of Chesapeake, Virginia; Catherine Sinclair of Columbus, Ohio; Tom Shope and his wife, Lisa, of Sarasota, Florida and Jean Cottrill and her husband, Scott, of Winter Springs, Florida; and great-grandchildren, Melissa Cottrill, Zachery and Brett Shope, Mary Evans, Caroline and Charles Castle and Madison and William Sinclair.

A funeral service will be held 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 21, 2008, at Buck Mountain Episcopal Church in Earlysville, Virginia, with the Reverend Connie Clark officiating. Interment will follow at Grace Episcopal Church Cemetery in Cismont, Virginia.

The family will receive friends from 7 until 9 p.m. Tuesday May 20, 2008, at Hill and Wood Funeral Home.

The family extends a special thanks to the office of Dr. Gordon Morris, Hospice of the Piedmont and to the entire practice of Dr. Bruce Campbell.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Virginia Wildlife Association, Post Office Box 1557, Waynesboro, VA 22980 or to Buck Mountain Episcopal Church Fund, 4133 Earlysville Road, Earlysville, VA 22936

Friends may send condolences to the family at hillandwood.com.


This obituary was originally published in the Daily Progress.