George Harry Coin

George Harry Coin

January 1, 2023

BETTENDORF-New Year's day morning George Harry Coin, 88, of Bettendorf passed away at Genesis East after a long illness.

All events are in Rock Island. Visitation is from 4-7 Wednesday Jan 4 at Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Home with a Trisagion Service at 6:30. Funeral Thursday 10:30, St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 2930 31st Ave, with burial at Memorial Park Cemetery.

A son of Greek immigrants born April 1934 in the Quad Cities, George was an accomplished businessman in the baking industry. When just 7, he started helping his family's Coin Baking Co. (later named Harvest Day), eventually delivering and stocking shelves with fresh bread at regional grocery stores, serving for decades as operations manager.

Retiring in 2005 as CEO of Nancy's Pies (now Rock Island's Hill and Valley), which he started in 1987 with his wife Nancy and his family. He created a legacy supporting several hundred families over decades.

When asked about his life, he seldom mentioned his business successes but often reminisced about:

•His proposal to Nancy, his beloved wife of nearly 64 years, on a mountain top in Zermatt, Switzerland, near the end of his tour in the US Army.

•Sharing his self-built houseboat with family and friends, touring the Mississippi River from Sunset Marina.

•An exciting canoeing trip on the Wapsi River with his then-young children, which ended abruptly with an unplanned swim.

•Dedicated to education, he and Nancy took his family on nearly annual trips, from fishing in Wisconsin to Greece and Mexico, and provided major college tuition assistance for all the grandchildren.

•A lifelong bicycling enthusiast, George rode 30 miles most every day, often meeting family for breakfast at diners like Argo Corners or Mickey's Cafe or Saturday coffee with Rock Island friends. Upon retirement, he enjoyed 'the Spinners' bicycling group in Naples, Florida, where he had a winter home. He got his family and friends involved for several years in RAGBRAI, the unique annual bike trip throughout little towns of Iowa.

He attended Augustana College two years, but graduated in business from Northwestern University after a trip to Chicago attracted him. One of his proudest moments was when his granddaughter Elizabeth Coin was the commencement speaker for 22,000 at her 2019 Northwestern graduation.

A godly man, he is always asked to give the blessing at big family gatherings, often bringing his family to tears, reminding his prosperous family to remember the struggling.

He was an optimistic, dynamic and philanthropic man - he donated 10,000 square feet of his bakery at Watch Tower Plaza to Black Hawk College for a technology and English as a second language center - and was a lifelong member of the Greek Orthodox Church, and supporter of Rock Island Kiwanis, then Bettendorf Rotary, and the Quad Cities Symphony.

George is survived by wife Nancy (Nausika) Booras Coin; children: Harry Georson (Susan) Coin of Bettendorf, Tina (Bubba) Cunningham of Chapel Hill, NC, Alexa (Scott) Florence of Bettendorf, and Jennifer Coin of Minneapolis, MN; brothers Stan (Kay) and Tasso (Liz) of Naples FL; 12 grandchildren: Katherine (fiancée Steve Koltz), George and Elizabeth Coin, Matthew (Erica), Michael (Emily), John and Sarah Cunningham, Benjamin and Gabe Florence, and Nicki Zahhos, Dena (Brian) Wilkins, and Maria (Cory) Sylvester; and many beloved nieces, nephews and sisters-in-law Dena Manta and Georgia Sauer. Predeceased by parents Harry and Toula of Rock Island and sister Katherine 'Casey' Coin Buonocore of New London CT.

A lifelong friend to the struggling, George welcomes donations to the Friends of the Poor 'Philoptochos' society of St. George Church, Rock Island, IL.

Online condolences may be left for the family at wheelanpressly.com.