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C. Gene Coin, M.D. On January 1, 2009 Dr. Carl Gene Coin died peacefully after an extended illness near Scottsdale, Arizona with wife, Elizabeth, and daughter, Teresa nearby. Dr. Coin was born in Ardmore, Oklahoma on November 16, 1925 the second of the two children of J. Walter and Grace Allen Coin. He was pre-deceased by his parents, brother James Walter Jr. and nephew, Eric Walter Coin. He is survived by: his wife of 63 years, Elizabeth Anne Wilson Coin of the home; son, J. Thaddeus Coin PhD, MD, daughter-in-law Eleanor Barker-Coin and grandson, Allen Taylor Coin of Wilmington, NC; daughter, Teresa Elizabeth Coin, JD, LL M, grandson, Wilson Wright Lee and granddaughter, Raney Elizabeth Lee of Scottsdale; son, Patrick Gene Coin, PhD, daughter-in-law, Margaret Coin and granddaughter, Emily Grace Coin of Durham, NC; and daughter, Wendy Kathryn Coin, MD and partner, Vickie Sneed of Asheville, NC; and nieces, Cynthia Coin Boyd of Edmond OK and Nancy Coin Arroyo, JD of Stuttgart, Germany, and many great-nieces and nephews. Gene Coin's development was markedly influenced by his father's work ethic, which kept his fruit distributorship solvent during the Great Depression and a devoted mother who often took her boys fishing when their father had to work. No doubt the untimely death of their mother when Gene was 14 left its mark on the Coin brothers. World War II saw Gene enlisting in the U.S. Navy's V-12 officer's training program at age 17. At the close of the War he served as Ensign on the destroyer escort, the USS Thomas. After the war he returned home to Ardmore briefly where he married his high school sweetheart Elizabeth ("Lib"), who remained at his side for life. Gene stayed in the Navy for a time to assist in the mothballing of Navy ships in St. Augustine Florida. He and Lib then returned to Oklahoma where they both finished their Bachelor's degrees at OU. Gene then entered Medical School at OU followed by Internship in Sacramento Ca. Dr. Coin then returned to Oklahoma City to complete Radiology Residency at OU. There he started his family and quickly became Chief of Radiology at St Anthony Hospital. Dr. Coin remained at St. Anthony until 1969 when he chose to enhance his professional skills and became a Fellow in Neuroradiology at UCLA. He continued on the faculty at UCLA for another year before accepting the Chairmanship of Radiology at Lovelace Clinic in Albuquerque, NM. The advent of CT scanners in the mid 70's changed his professional career forever. He directed installation of New Mexico's first CT Scanner. In the next decade he directed similar CT Scanner installations in Palm Desert, CA, Fayetteville and Pinehurst NC. Dr. Coin authored and co-authored many scientific papers, textbook chapters and presentations mostly involving innovative uses of CT and MRI scanners. From 1984 until 2005 Dr. Coin practiced in both private and academic (U. of Miami) settings in South Florida. He only fully retired at age 79. Gene was a lifelong fisherman and outdoorsman. He pursued fishing and other outdoor activities intensely when he could get away from work. He particularly enjoyed and became quite skilled at salt-water fly fishing. While in South Florida he spent many hours either alone, with Lib, friends and family fishing the flats surrounding Craig Key. On retirement Gene and Elizabeth moved to Durham, NC and more recently Scottsdale, AZ during which time his health gradually declined. Gene did not desire to have a formal burial. Rather he wished his ashes to be spread about the beloved waters at Craig Key, Fl. A private ceremony is being planned. The family suggests that if a remembrance is desired, a donation to the Coastal Conservation Association, the National Audubon Society or other wildlife preservation organization would honor his memory best.
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