Fleetwood, Gayford Coy December 31, 1925 - August 18, 2012

GAYFORD “COY” FLEETWOOD (b. December 31, 1925) departed this life August 18, 2012 at Jefferson Gardens Assisted Living facility in Clinton, MO. Born to Flora (nee Manning) and William Marion Fleetwood in Mansfield, MO, sixth of seven children, Coy told of a meager, depression-era upbringing by loving and God-fearing parents. He regaled his own children with stories of his formative years in Mansfield where he delivered newspapers on his bicycle and mowed lawns to help out with the family’s expenses Most notable among his paper-delivery and lawn-mowing clients was the author Laura Ingalls Wilder who frequently shared a glass of lemonade with young Coy at her kitchen table. Known from an early age as a very talented guitarist and fiddler at social gatherings in Douglas County, Coy was rarely without a musical instrument within reach throughout his entire life. He was called to the service of his country during the waning years of World War II and was posted at Kingman Air Base near Yuma, Arizona. Discharged from the Army Air Corps in Spring, 1946, he furthered his education at Missouri “Normal” School (now Missouri State University) in Springfield, Missouri with the GI Bill. He was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in 1947 and received certification as an educator upon graduation. He married Josephine Jones of Mountain Grove, MO on July 4, 1948 and subsequently held a teaching post at Alton High School (Alton, MO). After attending the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville during the summers of 1949 and 1950, Mr. Fleetwood received a Master’s in School Administration then served as Principal at Seymour High School and eventually Superintendent at Collins Public Schools (Collins, MO). In 1957, he moved his family to Osceola, MO where he had accepted a position as Sales Manager for a statewide school supply concern known as “The Edwards Press”. The couple raised their three children in the big white house on Main Street a block from the Osceola town square. Coy remained with the Edwards Press (eventually becoming part-owner in the enterprise) until his retirement in 1990. He and Josephine moved to Springfield, MO in 1995 and remained for 10 years before declining health took them back to Osceola to be near their daughter, Pam, who along with her husband, Joe, was a constant source of solace. Coy and Josephine moved to Jefferson Gardens in Clinton, MO in June, 2011. Quick with a smile and a joke, Coy was a good and kind man whose loss is felt keenly by family and friends. Coy is survived by his wife, Jo, three children (Mrs. Brenda Gardner of Loveland, CO; Mark Fleetwood of Columbia, MO; and Mrs. Pam Brown and husband Joe of Osceola, MO), three grandchildren (Debbie Gardner of Loveland, CO; Cindy Clarke of Loveland, CO; and John Gardner of Loveland, CO), and 5 great grandchildren. Sisters Geneva Henslee and Dorothy Short of Mansfield also survive Mr. Fleetwood. Brother, Clarence Fleetwood, Sister, Sue Hefner, and twins Chester Lee and Ester Marie (who both died in infancy) preceded their brother, Coy, in death.