He leaves behind his wife, Josie Perla, a life connection of 50+ years; his mother, Alice Lee Coakley; his brothers, Stephen and Scott Coakley, his aunt, Margaret Pruitt, his close friend and brother-in-law Ben Perla; and a number of cousins and nieces. He was the stepfather to Adriane Garcia and Michelle (Garcia) Lanken and grandfather to their children, Charlie Higbee, Gabriel and Charlotte Lanken.
Chris grew up in Charlottesville, Va., and graduated from Albemarle High School. He attended Northrop Institute of Technology in Inglewood, Calif., transferred to Stanford University, and subsequently graduated with a BS in Mechanical Engineering in 1969.
Chris' professional career started at Lockheed Missiles & Space Company in 1969 and he never left until he retired in 2011 after 42 years. He served in a number of roles at Lockheed starting with "flying satellites" in the Blue Cube, working on the Trident Missile Systems, guiding and mentoring new engineer hires for the company; his final role was that of Technical Staff to the Director of Navy Reentry Programs. He enjoyed the professional challenges he faced and held a high standard for his own performance. He was the type of person you would want working for you or with you.
Chris was also an owner-partner with Josie in a local vacation home rental business, Coast Getaways, on the Mendocino coast from 2003-2014. He served as the business' IT support person and had looked forward to a more active role in the business.
Chris followed his own path in life. Whatever he chose to do, he did well. He became a licensed pilot in the fall of 1965 and enjoyed piloting professional photographers for aerial photo shoots of the beautiful Virginia countryside and did some aerobatics before he left Virginia for college. He had a zest for adventure, long motorcycle trips, tinkering with anything that was mechanically challenging; he had a love for the written word and classical music. He was also an eclectic collector. Chris had a natural gift for relating to children and enjoyed being part of their circle. His love for four-footed friends was well-known.
Family and friendships were important to Chris; he was the best friend you could ask for and those whom he befriended along the way will miss him dearly.
Chris was buried at the Hillcrest Cemetery in the picturesque Village of Mendocino on January 23, 2016. Memorial contributions may be made to your local SPCA or Cancer Research Center.
Submitted by Sam Clarke