John F. Coughlin

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- John F. Coughlin, 90, died Dec. 5, 2009, surrounded by his family.

He was born Sept 1, 1919, in Manchester, to John J. and Mary Early Coughlin. He served in the U.S. Army in the 601st Tank Destroyer Battalion with the 3rd Infantry Division in Africa and Europe during World War II. He occasionally drove Ernie Pyle, the war correspondent, in Africa and was mentioned in two of his books. Almost 60 years later he was interviewed by John Clayton of the New Hampshire Union Leader, when 12-year-old Erin Kane was researching men from New Hampshire mentioned in Ernie Pyle's books.

In the 1950s, he owned a popular corner store in "The Flats" of Manchester. In the late 1950s, he began a new career as a nursing assistant at Veteran's Administration Hospital in Manchester.

He moved to Gainesville in 1967 and assisted with the opening of the Malcolm Randall Veterans Administration Medical Center. He retired in 1975.

He was a regular communicant at St. Patrick Church, and was a member of Knights of Columbus.

Family members include his wife of 64 years, Lucille Gagne Coughlin; two sons, John A. Coughlin and Michael P. Coughlin; five daughters, Aggie Guilbert of Waterville Valley, N.H., Joanne Wasner, Judy Vanasse, Louise Van Kirk, all of Gainesville, and Debbie Peters of Tallahassee, Fla.; 15 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

He is predeceased by one grandchild, Katie Wasner.

SERVICES: A funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Patrick Church on Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Interment with military honors will follow at 2:30 pm. at the National Cemetery in Bushnell.

Memorial donations may be made to Haven Hospice, 4200 NW 90th Blvd., Gainesville 32606 or St. Patrick Church "Building Fund" 500 NE 16th Ave. Gainesville 32601.

Milam Funeral and Cremation Services, 311 S. Main St. Gainesville, is handling arrangements.