Joseph L. Coleman, 78, of Troy

Joseph Lawrence (Felts) Coleman passed away on April 13, 2013, from a heart condition. 

Larry was born April 7, 1935, in New Orleans, La., to Bessielee Pevoto and Joseph Felts. He spent his childhood and school years in the San Diego area with his brother Don. 

Larry attended Grossmont High School where he met Jacqueline Clara Stroup. They had six children, Jacqueline Jay, Beth Kimberly, Sonja Casandra, Joseph Lawrence, Marlyn Katrina, and Teresa Lynn.  

Larry, Jackie, and their young family lived for several years in Pensacola, Fla., where he owned and operated a service station. Having a love for beautiful, modern furnishings, Larry and his family moved back to California where he opened a shop selling fine modern Scandinavian imports.

After separating from Jackie and closing the import business, Larry pursued his love of modern architecture by taking courses in architecture and building his ultramodern dream home overlooking Carlsbad.

In 1984, Larry chose to pursue the dream of living a rural lifestyle. He purchased the Point Store, an old-fashioned general store, in Jackson, Wyo. There he met Caroline Sue Robinson. They married in 1985 and had two sons; Robert Edward and Thomas Ira.

In 1992 the family decided to purchase and renovate a closed tourist business on the Blackfeet Reservation outside Glacier National Park. They ran Kiowa Resort for 16 years working together as a family. With their sons in college, Larry and Sue decided to downsize to a more modest business and purchased the Kootenai River Campground in Troy.

He is survived by his wife, brother Don, all eight of his children, and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Services will be 1 p.m. Saturday, April 20, 2013, at Schnackenberg & Nelson Funeral Home in Libby.