William Coil Obituary

William (Bill) H. Coil, of Lawrence, Kansas, passed on July 20, 2025, just two weeks becoming a centenarian. Bill was born on June 6, 1925 and spent his youth in Fort Wayne, Indiana with his parents, Cecil and Desha (Stage) Coil, and his siblings Elizabeth, Helen, and David.

After high school, he served in the Army in WWII. Post-war, he earned his BS from Purdue University in 1948 and his Ph.D. from Ohio State University in 1953. He remembered fondly his graduate school days spent in his lab on Lake Erie. In 1946 he married Jean McQueen, and they had two sons, Larry (1946) and Jim (1951).

Bill started his career as a professor in biological sciences in 1956 at the University of Nebraska. In 1962, he started his 30+ years in Systematics and Ecology at the University of Kansas. He took great pride in his research in parasitology, mastering techniques to image tapeworms and other parasites with SEM. Bill enjoyed building relationships with his students. A lifetime photographer, he liked his nature photography classes the most, because the students' pictures offered a window into their lives.

While in Lawrence, his friends introduced him to Suzanne Schwantes, whom he married on August 7, 1964 in Beaufort, North Carolina. Bill and Suzanne shared passion for creative projects, love of dogs, and enthusiasm for Kansas City sports. They had one daughter, Millicent (1966).

In his free time, Bill liked to be outside: fishing, hunting, and gardening. The family spent many hours at Clinton Lake skiing, fishing, and listening to the Royals. Each year, he eagerly anticipated the hunting season, during which he would head to central Kansas to hunt quail and pheasants. He adored his hunting dogs: Champ, a Brittany Spaniel, and Lili and Maggie, English Pointers. He enjoyed walking in outdoor Kansas with his dogs as much as he did the hunting. A Master Gardener, Bill tended an amazing garden. He took particular pride in his David Austin roses. Bill tried to convince everyone to garden by sharing Sunset Cosmos seeds, starts from his houseplants, and cacti.

In his retirement, Bill traveled extensively in his Airstream trailer. He and Suzanne liked the Wind River Mountains the most. After Suzanne passed in 2009, he used his trailer to visit family. He took great joy in his children; Larry (Terry), Jim (Patty), and Millicent Coil; his grandchildren Benjy (Gina) Coil, Kim (Robert) Smith, Will (Maria) Coil, Susie (Dan) Smith, Jeffrey Coil, Dylan (Dahye) Coil, Raven (Alisha) Coil-Otto, and Teal Coil-Otto; and his great-grandchildren Natalie, Emily, Edie, Dain, and Emi Coil, Josh, Wyatt, Davis, Morgan, Chloe, and Sam Smith.

During the last 25 years, Bill became exceptionally proficient with modern technology. He spent much of each day on his Samsung tablet and phone, sending emails to friends, taking and sharing pictures, and checking the news. This enthusiasm and curiosity exemplifies his approach to his 100 years of life.

A Celebration of Life will be planned for a later date.