Adam Thomas Coats, 35, died Saturday evening, June 28, peacefully surrendering his fierce 9-month fight to live for the family that meant everything to him.
Adam was born December 5, 1989, to Tom and Karen Coats. He grew up on the family farm near Mountain Grove. He graduated from Mountain Grove High School in 2008. Adam earned a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2012 and an MBA from Western Governors University in 2018.
From a young age, Adam was curious about how things worked and had a knack for making and repairing things. Out of college, he flourished as an engineer moving through a variety of product design specialties and for the past 5-plus years was a very successful innovation product manager at Forvis-Mazars.
But his career was not Adam’s defining identity or priority.
He was first and foremost focused on loving and serving his family and his savior Jesus Christ. Adam accepted Christ at a young age and that decision affected every step of his life from then on. Adam put his family and his faith at the center of every decision.
He and his high school sweetheart, Ashley Maples, married in August 2010. Over the next 15 years, they created a Christian home grounded in mutual respect, devotion and a shared steadfast faith in the Lord. In 2014, they welcomed their first son, Dax, followed by a second son, Hux, in 2016 and their daughter Elm in 2018.
From helping coach his sons’ youth sports teams to encouraging his young daughter’s creativity to teaching various church classes with Ashley, Adam was the model of an engaged father, devoted husband and disciple of Christ. Even in the roughest days of his illness, Adam focused on comforting and encouraging his loved ones.
In group gatherings, Adam was usually the quiet one, a great listener and perceptive observer with a sly sense of humor as evidenced by his knack for slipping in clever comments at just the right moments.
In addition to his wife Ashley and his children Dax, Hux and Elm, Adam is survived by his parents, Tom and Karen Coats of Mountain Grove, MO; two sisters, Lindsay (Craig) Nelson and Whitney (Louis) Davis, father and mother-in-law Tom and Cindy Maples, brother-in-law Seth (Sarah) Maples, eight nephews and nieces.
Visitation will be 5 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, July 1, at Crossway Baptist Church, 2900 N. Barnes Ave., Springfield, MO. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 2, also at Crossway Baptist Church, 2900 N. Barnes Ave., Springfield MO. Burial will follow at Greenlaw North Cemetery.In place of flowers, you are invited to honor Adam’s legacy by contributing to a scholarship fund for his children. Adam valued education deeply and worked hard to give Dax, Hux, and Elm a bright future. Your gift will help support them as they pursue their education in the years ahead, carrying forward Adam’s hopes and dreams for them.
https://gofund.me/1072706a
Donations of any amount are welcome and deeply appreciated. Our goal is to raise $15,000 to provide meaningful educational support for each child.
Arrangements are under the compassionate care of Greenlawn Funeral Home North.