Thomas Ola Coker

1945 - 2021

Thomas Ola Coker, 75, of Windsor, Connecticut, beloved husband for 42 years of Beverly (Sewell) Coker, passed away suddenly on Sunday, September 5, 2021, at St. Francis Hospital. Born in Banjul, The Gambia on December 9, 1945, to the late Thomas Sylvanus Henry Coker and Elizabeth "Aunty Lily-Mama" Buxton Wright, he became a well-known percussionist in the band, the Eagles, and eventually immigrated to Russia, England and finally the United States as an adult, where he worked as a social servant, touching innumerable lives. As a young man, Tom played for the Arrace Football Club as a goalkeeper while performing as an original member of the Eagles Jazz Band. The group pioneered Gambian pop music, which was a mixture of local sounds along with Congolese rhythms and Cuban percussion, played by Tom, who was affectionately known as "Hands of Gold." The group toured West Africa, playing for fans and dignitaries alike like the former Sierra Leonean Prime Minister Albert Margai, who gave them a standing ovation. In 1967, Tom left the Eagles and The Gambia to study in St. Petersburg, Russia before moving to London, England where he attended Kings College for a few years. He eventually transferred to the University of Illinois in Chicago, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts. From there, he attended Ohio University in Athens and then, following an invitation from his friend Gerald "Chinaman" Biggs, moved to Connecticut in 1978. One year later, Tom met the love of his life, Beverly Sewell, while attending Blue Hills New Testament Church of God -- later renamed Rehoboth Church of God -- and the couple married months later and settled in Hartford. Tom went on to earn his Master's in Public Administration from the University of Hartford. In 1980, Tom joined the State of Connecticut's Department of Social Services (DSS) as an administrator. He retired in 2009 after almost 30 years of service. Throughout his life, Tom never lost focus on the most important things; faith, family, and community. As a member of the Blue Hills Church of God, Tom's home was directly across the street from the church's 339 Blue Hills Avenue location in Hartford. This allowed him to devote many of his talents to the church including serving as a founder and member of the Peter C. Barrett Scholarship Committee and the Day Care Program, as well as a member of the Helping Hands Food Pantry, the church's leadership council, and as a personal advisor to many Blue Hills Pastors. Tom took his service role in the community very seriously, and was considered a one-man social service agency all by himself. He kickstarted several programs to help immigrants adjust to American life and assist young people with their education and career aspirations. He mentored countless youth at his church and in the greater Hartford area with tutoring, GED preparation, and counseling on college admissions and immigration issues. Tom loved people, he was a genuine friend and father figure to many, nurturing his relationships for decades, keeping in touch through phone calls, emails, and personal visits. In his spare time, he was an avid reader, especially African and diasporic history, politics, and international current events. He loved to travel and investigate other cultures, prompting him to learn four different languages. He was also a devoted sports fan, faithfully cheering on the Chicago Bears and Bulls from his time in Illinois. Besides his devoted wife, Beverly, he leaves to mourn his passing, two children, Lemu Kinty Coker and his wife Hillary Crosley Coker of Brooklyn, NY, and Nerissa Mina Staggers and her husband Maurice Staggers of Hartford; three grandchildren, Kinty Ocean Coker, Hilton Ola Curtis Coker and Myna Abiola Staggers; a brother, Prince Beola O'Brien-Coker of Amsterdam, Netherlands; and a host of brothers and sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, cousins, and godchildren. He was predeceased by three brothers, Justice Shornu Kinty O'Brien-Coker, George Ebenezer Jabs-Coker, and Samuel Oseh O'Brien-Coker; and three sisters, Wilhelmina Georgiana Tomimina Coker, Admire Coker Goswell and Henrietta Modou Moore. His family will receive friends on Friday, September 17, 5-7p.m., and on Saturday, September 18, 9-10 a.m. viewing, at the Rehoboth Church of God, 1170 Blue Hills Ave., Bloomfield. A Homegoing Service will be held on Saturday, September 18, 10 a.m., at the Rehoboth Church of God. Burial will follow at Mt. St. Benedict Cemetery, Bloomfield. The Repast will be held at Rehoboth Church immediately following the burial. Memorial donations may be made to the Rehoboth Church of God, Attn: Peter C. Barrett Scholarship Fund, 1170 Blue Hills Ave., Bloomfield, CT 06002. The family has entrusted the Carmon Windsor Funeral Home with the arrangements. For online condolences, to live stream the ceremony on both Friday and Saturday and view an online photo gallery, please visit www.carmonfuneralhome.com or www.rehobothcog.org/livestream/.