Margery Kelly Coates

COATES , Margery Kelly On January 7, 2012, Margery Kelly Coates died in her home in Havre de Grace, MD, of complications from cancer. Margy was born in 1919 and grew up in Ilchester, Howard County, where her parents owned and operated Landing Road Farm, an apple orchard and cider mill. Her maternal grandfather, Victor G. Bloede, brought electricity to Catonsville and surrounding areas in 1907 by building the Bloede Dam on the Patapsco River. It was the first dam of its kind where the entire machinery and electrical power was housed in a tunnel under the dam. Margy's paternal grandfather, Dr. Howard A. Kelly, was a founder of Johns Hopkins Medical School. In 1941, she married Roger Mahlon Coates, a motorcycle enthusiast. They lived in Rochester, NY, where Rod helped design motorcycles for the military at Delco. They then moved to Pluckemin, NJ and operated a small motorcycle shop at their home. In 1950, they moved to Fallston, where Rod was employed for 20 years as Service Manager for the Triumph Corporation. From 1970 to 1980, Rod and Margy owned and operated Laurelbrook Foods in Bel Air, milling flour and distributing natural foods from New York to the Carolinas and as far west as Pittsburgh. Rod died in 1990 at their home in Fallston. Margy, better known as Marsh, had 6 wonderfully supportive children: Sarah, Judith, Daniel, Marion, Dora and Nancy (who died of breast cancer in 1995), as well as 13 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. Beautiful, energetic, adventuresome, she was known for her artistic creativity, her love of poetry, her woodland gardens, and her connection with nature.
In lieu of flowers, a contribution may be made to Habitat for Humanity. A private family memorial will be held later this year.