Obituary of William Allen Coleman

William Allen (“Bill”) Coleman, 71, of Monticello, MN, passed away May 18, 2021, after a valiant struggle with kidney failure he developed in later life. He was born in Battle Creek, Michigan, to Donald and Beverly Coleman. Bill graduated in 1967 as a decorated member of the Battle Creek Central High School debate team. He briefly attended the University of Michigan, and the New Tribes Bible Institute, before devoting himself to a distinguished career in the exploding fields of telecom systems, computers, technology, and entrepreneurship.

In 1996 Bill co-founded Interactive Quality Services to help large customers and their vendors get to the bottom of difficult technical issues in large and complex contact centers. Building the company from scratch, IQ Services delivered unique testing services all over the world to most of the big names in banking, investments, insurance, transportation, utilities and product support. After leading IQ Services through growth and success, Bill retired in 2009 at the age of 60.

Like most people, Bill was a complex person. He often was the smartest person in a room, but was not always socially adept or comfortable. He was generous with others, and supported and encouraged those less fortunate than him, but admitted to suffering fools badly, which sometimes created the impression that he could be impatient or overbearing. He was not fond of politics or politicians of either major party, and he hated injustice, discrimination, selfishness, and hubris. Bill was handy, helping family and friends to remodel their homes using his carpentry, masonry, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and other skills. He also enjoyed teaching those skills to others.

Bill enjoyed playing golf, and despite his high handicap enjoyed being a part of the Braemar Men’s Club. He co-founded the Big Bang Book Club, whose dozen or so members met monthly for several years for dinner and to discuss books and ideas about physics and astronomy. Bill enjoyed traveling, fishing and camping, especially with family members, in favorite places such as Southern Utah, the San Francisco Bay area, Northwestern Ontario, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, and Key West.

Bill’s children and grandchild were a source of great joy in his life. Predeceased by his father, Donald, Bill leaves behind his children, John Coleman of Virginia and Candace Coleman (Chad Berdahl) of Minnesota, his granddaughter, Hallie Coleman, of Minnesota, his mother, Beverly Coleman, of Michigan, his brother, Rick Coleman (Mary), of Wisconsin, and his sister, Patricia Mellen, of Colorado, his niece, Alaine Coleman, of Wisconsin, the mother of his children and former spouse, Litahni Coleman, of Minnesota, and many dear cousins and their families from all over.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to the Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness in Minnesota or the Grand Staircase Escalante Partners, Inc. in Utah. A celebration of Bill’s life is being planned for later this summer in the Minneapolis area. Arrangements are through the Cremation Society of Minnesota.