Obituary: Kenneth William Coate

Kenneth William Coate died on Jan. 25, 2026, in Lacey, Washington. Born May 13, 1953, in Hood River, Oregon, Ken moved to Juneau, Alaska, in 1972, where he married, raised three children, worked for Contel and ACS, and volunteered throughout Alaska. He was known for his faith in God, love of fishing and hunting, and friendly conversations.

Kenneth William Coate

He is survived by his wife, Linda; daughters Katie Coate and Amanda (Gabriel) Coate-Hwang; grandson Sean Hwang; stepchildren Aaron (Julie) Watts, Rachel (Tim) Mitchell, Isaac Watts, Nate (Jodie) Watts, and their families; and friends worldwide. He was preceded in death by his son, Toby, and his parents, Kenneth Harvey and Polly Lou Coate.

Memorial services will be held in Washington on March 1 and in Juneau at the end of June, with dates and locations to be announced.