Ronald Grant Coleman

1941 - 2026

Ronald Grant Coleman
January 27, 1941 -
March 6, 2026
Ronald Grant Coleman was born on January 27, 1941, in the small upstate New York town of Canastota, the youngest son of Richard and Frances Coleman.
A member of the Silent Generation-sometimes called the "Radio Babies"-Ron was a larger-than-life personality who could fill a room with laughter. A man who loved being the center of attention, he was anything but silent and was known as a gifted coach, mentor, and business leader.
From humble beginnings, he made his way to undergraduate studies at State University of New York at Cortland, where he met his wife of more than 60 years, Andrea Ebertz.
Ron continued his education at Northeastern University in Boston, where he earned a master's degree in history. Never afraid to take risks, soon after graduating, he and Andrea packed up and moved to Miami, Florida, where Ron began his career as a high school history teacher and football coach.
After two years of teaching-and the arrival of identical twin boys, Matthew and Jason-Ron decided to pursue a new path in the business world. He received world-class management training at Procter & Gamble and spent a decade building and leading successful sales teams in Florida, Chicago, and throughout the Midwest.
An opportunity to direct sales and operations for a leading wine and spirits wholesaler eventually brought him to Atlanta and a home in East Cobb. Ron went on to spend more than 30 years at Empire Distributors, where he led high-performing sales teams and worked with global brands such as Jagermeister, Maker's Mark, and Samuel Adams. It was also in Atlanta that he and Andrea welcomed their youngest son, Zachary.
A talented athlete in his own right, Ron loved coaching his sons' baseball and basketball teams, often leading them to championships, and teaching them the game he loved most: golf.
A near-scratch golfer, Ron played many of the most famous courses in the world, including Augusta National Golf Club, Pebble Beach Golf Links, St. Andrews Links, Trump National Doral Miami, and Oakmont Country Club, among others. While skilled with every club in the bag, his play from 100 yards in was especially masterful, and he counted several holes-in-one over the years.
Later, the family moved from East Cobb to a farm in Powder Springs, Georgia, where Ron enjoyed tending to the pasture and caring for the many animals that called it home-including a menagerie of horses, donkeys, dogs, and cats-while continuing to perfect his golf game.
A lifelong music lover, Ron amassed an impressive album collection spanning genres from jazz and blues to country and rock. His collection included artists ranging from Chet Baker, Nina Simone, and The Four Freshmen to Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, ZZ Top, Willie Nelson, and Kenny Rogers.
Ron and Andrea were proud members of the Four Freshmen Society and enjoyed traveling to Four Freshmen conventions and concerts throughout the Southeast. Every August they attended the Big E Festival in Cornelia, Georgia, where Elvis impersonators from around the region competed. They also traveled to Memphis to attend the national Elvis tribute contest at Graceland.
After retiring from Empire Distributors, Ron and Andrea moved to Lake Lanier, where they spent 17 happy years enjoying the lake, their family, and many friends.
On Friday, March 6, at 85 years of age, Ron was reunited in heaven with his parents, Frances and Richard Coleman; his brother, Richard Coleman, Jr.; his son, Zachary Coleman; his daughter-in-law, Angela Coleman; his nephew, Andrew Westee; and his brother-in-law, Donald Westee.
Left to cherish his memory are his devoted wife, Andrea Coleman; his sons, Matthew and Jason; his sister, Suzanne Herzog; his brother-in-law, William Herzog; daughter-in-law, Jacqui Chew; his grandson, Harrison; his granddaughter, Katherine Rose; his sister-in-law, Suzanne Westee; his nieces and nephews Leigh Westee, Phillip Westee, and Patrick Coleman; his great-nephew Kyle Coleman; his great-niece Cameryn Coleman; and many Coleman relatives in Syracuse, New York.
Ron will be remembered at a Funeral Mass at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Cumming, Georgia, on Thursday, March 26, 2026, at 12:00 noon, with interment in the church columbarium at 1:15 p.m., followed by a reception in the church hospitality room.
The address is 3740 Holtzclaw Road; Cumming, GA.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Ron's memory to the American Cancer Society.