Debi A. Coleman

Deborah (Debi) A. Coleman, January 22,1952-October 15, 2021

Debi A. Coleman of Portland, Oregon and Narragansett, Rhode Island passed away peacefully on October 15, 2021 with her beloved sisters Colleen and Erin at her side. Debi was born in Cumberland, RI and is the daughter of Joan M. (Primeau) Coleman of Smithfield and the late John A. Coleman. Coleman received a BA from Brown University, an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business and an honorary PhD. in Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). She was a Brown University Board of Trustees Emeritus.

Coleman is best known for her career achievements starting at Apple Computer. She was part of the original Macintosh team as controller and went on to automate the first Macintosh factory in California. From there she rose at Apple to Vice President of Worldwide Operations, Chief Financial Officer and later Vice President of Information Systems and Technology.

She joined Tektronix in 1992 as Vice President of Operations and Materials. In 1994, she spun out Merix, the printed circuit board operation at Tektronix, in a successful IPO. She left Merix in 2001 and co-founded SmartForest Ventures, an angel investing venture fund.  Coleman’s “third act” included work in the mid-2010’s as a Tony-nominated Broadway producer, including work on the critically acclaimed smash, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.

She served on several public companies’ boards of directors, including Software Publishing Corporation, Octel Communications, Synopsys, and Applied Materials, as well as Brown University, Harvard Business School, and Stanford Graduate School of Business. She was also named Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute. Debi just received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Oregon Institute of Technology. She also received the C200 Luminary Award Honoring Women in Business in the year 2002 for Technology Innovator.

An enthusiastic patron of the arts, Coleman served on the boards of the San Jose Cleveland Ballet, Oregon Symphony, and Oregon Ballet Theater. In addition, she strongly supported career opportunities for women in STEM, serving on the boards of the Anita Borg Institute for Women Technologists, as well as the Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington.

Coleman is survived by her mother Joan, siblings; Kevin Coleman of Florida, Colleen Coleman Bauerle of North Kingstown, RI, Daniel Coleman and his wife, Linda of Cumberland, RI, and Erin Coleman Isselmann and her husband Jack, of Portland, OR; nieces and nephews; Kevin Patrick Coleman, Brendan Coleman, Alysa Coleman, Sean Coleman, Caitlyn Bosworth, Sarah Dos Santos, James Coleman, Jaryd Coleman, Shayne Coleman, Kailee Coleman, Brenton Bauerle, Amy Isselmann and Carly Isselmann. Coleman was preceded in death by her father, John A. Coleman and brother John Patrick Coleman.

Relatives and friends are kindly invited to a Mass of Christian Burial on Friday, November 5, 2021, at 12:00PM in St. Joseph’s Church, 1303 Mendon Road, Cumberland, RI, which will be celebrated by Father William O’Neill. A private Burial will follow in the Coleman family lot at St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Cumberland. Visiting hours are from 10:00-11:30AM prior to the Mass, in the O’Neill Funeral Home, Cumberland, RI.

Coleman’s life will also be celebrated in December in Portland, Oregon.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Meeting Street School, 1000 Eddy Street, Providence, RI 02905, in Debi’s honor, would be greatly appreciated.