The Observationist

JOHN M. COAKLEY
John was born April 26, 1936 in Oakland, California and
died May 29, 2011 in Los Altos. He was raised in the
Oakland/Piedmont area and was he youngest son of Kitty
and Frank Coakley who was the former District Attorney
of Alameda County. He attended schools in the East Bay
and studied for the priesthood for one year at St.Joseph’s
seminary in Los Altos. He served in the U.S. Army Signal
Corps for two years in Alaska and attended the University
of California at Berkeley graduating with a Bachelor of
Science degree in geology. He is survived by an older
brother, Tom Coakley, and a sister Clare Klinge. He lived in
Los Altos with his brother for many years. He worked as a
field technician setting up and maintaining seismographs for
the USGS and was one of the first to measure sounds of
earthquakes. He was dedicated to his work, loved the out-of-
doors and was an expert on many nooks and cranies in
California and the Western United States. One
of his favorite outdoor accomplishments was the Rim-to-
Rim hike in one day of the Grand Canyon. John also loved
to read history. He was a very shy and kind person and
very respectful of all with whom he came into contact. He
had a very sly sense of humor. He was very patriotic and
never forgot to fly the American flag on all national
holidays. He was loved by all. He leaves behind three
nephews and one niece and eight grand nieces and nephews.
His funeral will be at St. Williams Catholic church, 611 S.
Elmonte Avenue, Los Altos at 11am on Thursday, June 2,
and the Rosary and viewing will be held at the Spangler
funeral home, 399 S. San Antonio Road, Los Altos, on
Wednesday, June 1 at 8pm. Donations may be made to the
Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, Los Altos.

Went to Cousin John’s wake last night. Very low key. It was held at the funeral home. We recited only a decade of Hail Marys, and then talked about John. The priest was a school chum of John’s at Our Lady of Lourdes grammar school. The two of them had been good friends then, gone their separate ways for most of their lives, and in the past five years become reacquainted. A couple of John’s friends were there, but mostly it was a family affair. John was a quiet, shy, gentle and unassuming man. Hard to know how to express his absence. For many, he would not be missed because he was never noticed. John was a quiet presence at every family gathering. In a family that loved to talk and debate, and roar with laughter, John would often speak not a single word all evening. The press of crowds seemed painful for him. But he and I had many conversations. He was always interested in me, my family, and what was going on with us. He often wanted to share a tidbit of knowledge he had gained somewhere that he thought might be useful or interesting to me. He was a deep and soulful man. They say still waters run deep. That was John. The stillest of waters. What happened to him in the last days of his life was horrifying, and John was very brave to endure it.