Thomas Lynn Coble

BURLINGTON, N.C. - Thomas Lynn Coble, a devoted Christian, committed family man, seasoned pilot, widely-acclaimed businessman and gracious philanthropist, died Jan. 20, 2012, when his L-39 Albatros fighter jet went down shortly after takeoff in Rainbow City, Ala. He was 58 years old.
Tom is survived by his wife, Debby Coble; parents, P.J. and Donna Coble; son, Matt Coble; future daughter-in-law, Ning Yan Gu; daughter, Misty Coble Hedspeth; son-in-law, Matt Hedspeth; grandchildren, Ryan, Peter and Rosemary; brothers, Tony, Terry and Tim (deceased).
In 2002, Tom founded Coble Trench Safety (CTS), a specialty firm focused on renting and selling trench and traffic safety equipment and providing OSHA-required safety training for contractors and municipalities. CTS has 11 branches from Baltimore, Md., to Atlanta, Ga.
Tom was born to P.J. and Donna Coble on Jan. 10, 1954 in Burlington, N.C. He grew up working with his father on commercial and residential construction sites, where he quickly discovered an affinity for operating heavy equipment. While learning the mechanics of working backhoes, cranes and forklifts, Tom also learned a thing or two about running a family business.
He decided to check out the business program at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. But unlike the other kids, whose parents drove them to check out a school before making a commitment, Tom flew himself and Debby, his sweetheart since the fourth grade, to Liberty to take a look.
Tom and Debby enrolled at Liberty University. He put himself through school by working at a slaughterhouse, starting a painting company and flipping a couple of houses. He and Debby were married before his senior year.
With graduation quickly approaching, he got the opportunity of a lifetime. The late Jerry Falwell, former president of Liberty University, asked Tom to be his executive pilot, an experience that would have a remarkable impact on Tom's life. Falwell became one of Tom's personal heroes, a figure who continued to inspire him throughout his life.
But, while Tom loved flying, he couldn't stand sitting still. So as he waited for Falwell to finish speaking engagements, he worked the phones at regional airports, calling local construction firms to see if they were interested in buying or selling equipment. Tom's sideline interest soon turned into a full-scale brokerage. Conflicted by a desire to be in ministry and business, his mind was set at ease by some timely advice from the Rev. Falwell: "Tom, God needs businessmen just like He needs pastors." Emboldened and freed by that advice, Coble went into business full time and launched what was to be a truly remarkable career.
Coble developed a philosophy of business that was firmly grounded in his faith. Among his heroes were R.G. LeTourneau, Art DeMoss and Stanley Tam, men whose beliefs and generosity were unashamedly intertwined with the companies they operated. When asked about his personal success in business, Coble would often reply, "Business is simple. Faith and hard work go hand-in-hand. It's just sowing and reaping."
Among numerous other honors, Coble received the 2011 Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, given in recognition of his leadership at Coble Trench Safety in the Carolinas and beyond. Coble's quick wit, positive attitude, unstoppable drive and solid faith made him a force in his industry, even in a soft economy.
Happiest when in the air, Tom did his first solo flight on his 16th birthday and never looked back. Over the next 42 years, Tom would own multiple airplanes, including one of his favorites, a King Air 200.
Despite the business success that would distinguish a lesser man, those who knew Tom will remember him for a higher purpose. Coble leveraged his natural affinity for business to fund numerous ministries and charities on the local, regional, national and international levels. He supported ministries such as YoungLife, the Discipleship Network of America, Siloam Missionary Homes, Teen Challenge, Prison Fellowship, Haiti Under God, Word of Life International, and countless others. He also supported numerous international pastors, missionaries and orphanages. One of his greatest delights was personally signing checks each month for the outreaches and efforts he supported.
Always on the lookout for ways to blend his business and aviation interests with ministry opportunities, Tom regularly used his planes to help others. He was a pilot for Veterans Airlift Command, a non-profit organization that helps wounded veterans travel for medical treatment. He also flew for ministries such as Harvesters International and New Directions International. According to his daughter, Misty, "Tom would help anyone doing work for Jesus who needed to fly somewhere."
An unapologetic Christian, Coble attended Harvest Baptist Church in Burlington and led Alamance County's Coalition of Concerned Christians. Tom was on the board of Liberty University and received the "Eagle Award" in 1998, recognizing him as an outstanding alumnus. Among other charitable contributions, Coble personally paid for a radio tower in South America to open a new region for the Bible Broadcasting Network. In every check his company issued, Coble made sure a Gospel tract was tucked in to prompt the recipients to consider where they would spend eternity.
A statement released by the Coble family said, "We are grieving the loss of an extraordinary man, known to us as husband, daddy, papaw, grandpa, son, brother, uncle and friend. But we do not grieve without hope. We believe that, for Tom, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord Jesus Christ; of this we are certain (2 Corinthians 5:8). This truth is sustaining us in the midst of tragedy. We know Tom's soul was not in the wreckage, but rather went immediately to Heaven to be with Jesus. We are comforted by the Holy Spirit and are truly thankful for all our family and friends who have surrounded us with love and prayer during this difficult time."
Visitation will be held Saturday at Harvest Baptist Church in Burlington from 6-8:00 p.m. A celebration service will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday at Tom's airplane hangar at the Burlington-Alamance Regional Airport. For directions, please visit www.CobleTrenchSafety.com.
Anyone wishing to honor Tom by supporting a ministry that was close to his heart may make a donation to Heart's Cry Children's Ministry, a non-profit orphan advocacy ministry operated by Tom's daughter, Misty Coble Hedspeth (www.heartscrychildren.com).
You may sign the online register book at www.lowefuneralhome.com