Maryanna McMullan Coad
Born September 10, 1930, in St. Louis, Missouri and died on November 22, 2024, following a lingering illness. Raised in the St. Louis area, Coad attended Ursuline Academy and graduated from St. Louis University School of Nursing in 1952. Maryanna served as a public health nurse, grade school science teacher, and homemaker in addition to participating in several volunteer activities. She was also the first woman elected as alderman in the City of Greendale.
Maryanna loved music, among her many interests. Especially fond of classical music and the opera – and nurtured the joy of music in her children and grandchildren. She particularly enjoyed taking her grandchildren to the St. Louis Muny Opera – rain or shine. Maryanna would find the best instructors, and either have them come to the house on a weekly basis, or she would chauffeur the children to and from trombone and trumpet lessons. She read the daily newspaper from cover to over, clipping anything that might appeal to friends and family, and adding her own thoughts in red pen.
She was an avid sailor – she sailed competitively with her husband Jack, and later skippered her own boat racing in the Rhodes Bantam class. She and Jack enjoyed sailing trips with friends and family in the Caribbean, along the east coast, and in Greece. Maryanna was an avid traveler – as a recent high school graduate she spent a summer bicycling across Europe. She and Jack traveled widely across the United States, South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. She made several solo trips to Korea where her friend was a missionary. Regardless of the destination, she was always willing to accompany Jack in his quest to find a Japanese restaurant, and she located a Catholic church in any city they visited.
Maryanna treasured her family and her close friends. She was close with her brother and sisters, their children, and grandchildren. She maintained life-long friendships with her classmates from the “Holy Family Group,” the “Ursuline Group,” the “St. Louis U Group,” and her many friends from the Carlyle Sailing Association. Maryanna took a special interest in each of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildrenand made a point of knowing and nurturing their individual interests – which she tracked in the back of her bible, along with everyone’s favorite type of birthday cake and beer. She was a Chinese Checkers master, adroit at soliciting foot rubs from the grandchildren, and always eager to share a beverage with someone.
She is survived by sons John Coad and his wife Nancy, David Coad and his wife Cha, daughter Ann Lacker and her husband Scott Zerban, nine grandchildren: JD (Megan), Jeremy (Zoe), Melanie (Chris), Kenny, Christina and Catherine, Shannon (Michael), Bobby, and Allison; three great-grandchildren: Jaylon, Sofia, and Lily, and her brother David McMullan.
Services: On Saturday December 7th, a visitation will be held at the Ascension Parish Hall from 10:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. with a Funeral Mass beginning at 12:00 p.m. at Ascension Church (in the Little Church), 230 Santa Maria Drive, Chesterfield, MO 63017. A private interment will be held at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery on Monday, December 9th. In lieu of flowers the family asks that you please consider donations to Barefoot Children Ministries 15917 Heather Glen Drive, Chesterfield, MO 63017.
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