John William Coulter, 79, of Beebe, AR, formerly of Palestine, IL, passed away November 26, 2021. He was born May 18, 1942, in Robinson, IL, the son of John Henry Coulter & Gladys Violet (Selby) Coulter, both of whom preceded him in death. He was also preceded in death by his step-mother, Esther Irene Coulter; by his sister, Shirley Ann Coulter (in infancy); by his brother, Robert Lee Coulter; and by his adopted son, Phillip. He is survived by his son, Ross (French Lick, IN); by his daughter, Mindy (Greenwood, IN); by his nephew, Robert Lee Coulter II (Washington, IN); and by his great-nephew, John Robert Coulter (Cabot, AR). John grew up in the Palestine area and was a 1960 graduate of Palestine High School. He would go on to proudly serve his country in both the U.S. Air Force and Army and would eventually retire from the latter. He continued serving the United States as a civil servant, working for the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, until retiring in the late 1990s. John was, by all accounts, a gun enthusiast. Over his life, he acquired quite the collection, and few things thrilled him more than taking them out to shoot and hunt. It could be said that John Coulter was a man who enjoyed the simple things in life, like spending time with family. They would be the first to admit that the man was an “acquired taste”, but like him or not, we are all thankful for the legacy of selfless service he leaves behind. A time of visitation will be held from 4:00-6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 30th, at the Goodwine Funeral Home in Palestine. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, December 1st, at the funeral home, with Pastor Chris Breeden officiating. Burial will be in the Oak Grove Cemetery, rural Palestine, where military rites will be accorded by the combined units of the U.S. Army, the Robinson V.F.W. Post #4549, the Robinson American Legion Post #69, and the Flat Rock American Legion Post #132. Memorials may be made to the “VFW Transportation Fund”, with envelopes available at the funeral home. For more information, or to share a memory or condolence online, please visit www.goodwinefuneralhomes.com.
