Mr. Everett Joseph "E. J." Coleman, of Lebanon, died Sunday, May 29, 2011.. Mr. Coleman was born Dec. 18, 1918, in Albany, Wis., to Fred A. and Pearl (Ferguson) Coleman. He graduated from Little Wolf High School in Manawa, Wis., in 1936. In 1942 he graduated from the School of Agriculture at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II from 1942 to 1945.. At the age of 15, he met the love of his life, Marjorie L. Gosnell of Lebanon. They were married on Feb. 17, 1943, at Lampman Chapel in Union Theological Seminary in New York City. This union lasted 68 years.. Mr. Coleman followed in his dad's footsteps by starting his career with Sealtest in Dearborn, Mich. In 1949, he switched to the sales staff of the Animal Foods Division of National Dairy, where he worked for 17 years. In 1958, he began his dream job of working for Financial Industrial Funds out of Denver, Colo. When FIF was bought by Gage Rubberin in 1960, the sales force formed the brokerage firm of Kelley/Morey. Mr. Coleman became a registered investment advisor for them until Integrated Resources, Inc., bought the company in 1974. In 1988, he joined Planned Investment Company, Inc., and retired from there in 2009.. He was selected by Governor Brannigan to become a commissioner on the Indiana Civil Rights Commission in 1967. He served on the commission until 1980. He was made a Sagamore of the Wabash for his service to the commission and the state of Indiana.. Mr. Coleman belonged to Rotary International and was a Paul Harris Fellow. He had served on the board of the Boys and Girls Club, was a member of the Elks, the American Legion, past member of the Park Foundation, a 50-year member of Ulen Country Club, a Mason, and he belonged to the Shrine. Mr. Coleman was a member of Centenary United Methodist Church.. His last project, one he was proudest of, was to help establish the Veterans' Monument at Lebanon Memorial Park. With the help of the American Legion and the VFW, this project became possible and was dedicated on Veterans' Day of 2009.. Mr. Coleman was a loving husband to Marjorie, who survives. Other survivors are his daughter and son-in-law, Karen and David Richards; granddaughter, Whitney Coons of Lebanon; sister-in-law, Mildred Swope of Hilton Head, S.C.; nieces, Marilyn Hilgendorf, Jerry White and Norma Heed of Flint, Mich.; special nieces and nephews, Claudia (Jeff) Trefz of Indianapolis, Greg (Nancy) Wall of Muscatine, Iowa, and Joe Wall of Lebanon.. He was preceded in death by his parents; sisters, Gearline Coleman and Venita Varady; and son-in-law, Bruce Coons.. Visitation is 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, June 2, at Centenary United Methodist Church. Services will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday at the church. The Rev. David Patrick will officiate, assisted by the Rev. Arch Hawkins and the Rev. James Davis.