Vern Clarence Coulter

Vern Clarence Coulter passed away on Sunday, August 10th 2014, after a brief battle with cancer. Memorial services will be conducted 10:00 AM Friday, August 15, 2014 at Coffelt Funeral Service. Inurnment will follow in Pinecrest Memorial Park. There will be a reception immediately following the service at the V.F.W. Hall. He was born March 27, 1936 in Kalama, Washington to Ward and Edith Coulter. He attended elementary and high school in Kalama where he lettered in basketball and was voted a two-time All-State player. He also lettered in football and baseball. After High School he attended Clark Jr. College in Vancouver, WA. In 1955, Vern attended Eastern Washington College on a basketball scholarship. He left college and went to live with his Mother Edith and step-father Charles Nash, in Priest River, ID. There he worked in the local lumber mills until he was drafted in to the U.S. Army in the winter of 1958. Vern attended basic training at Ft. Ord, California and then went to a specialized school for Cryptography in the communications field at Ft. Gordon, Georgia. Vern married Sharon Bricker in May of 1959 in Priest River, ID. Upon completion of training he was assigned to Camp Ederale in Vicenza, Italy where he spent the next two and a half years and attained the rank of Sergeant. Vern played basketball with the military post team and traveled all over Europe playing other U.S. and foreign teams. Upon leaving the military in 1962 he returned to Idaho and worked in the woods for a few months when he was recruited by the U.S. Government to go to work for the CIA in communications & cryptography. The family went to the Washington, D.C. area where their daughter, Carlyn was born in May of 1964. In 1966 Vern was assigned to an overseas tour in Athens, Greece at the U.S. Embassy where the family spent three years. Vern received a commendation from the U.S. Government for his work in communications during the Nicosia, Cyprus conflict in 1968. He then received a lateral transfer to work at a U.S. Government Post in Taipei, Taiwan where their son Kevin was born in September of 1970. The family returned to the states in the summer of 1972 and Vern retired from government work. The family returned to Sandpoint where Vern started work with Daniel Moore in the construction business. Vern eventually formed his own business, Coulter Construction. Vern and Sharon were divorced in 1981 and he married Donna Whitney in 1982. He retired after many years of building houses and local businesses but continued to do jobs for family and friends. Vern and Donna built two homes in Sagle. They enjoyed spending their winters in Tacna, Arizona. Vern was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed annual fishing & hunting trips with friends and family. A few of his many hobbies were singing and playing the guitar, golfing, hiking, gardening, and finding the perfect huckleberry patch. He will be deeply missed by his family and all who knew and loved him. Vern is survived by his wife Donna, daughter Carlyn (Skip) Blacker of Sandpoint; son Kevin Coulter of Coeur d' Alene, ID; step-daughter, Kristine (Mark) Wiley of Atlanta, GA; step-son Chad Whitney of Los Altos, CA; and two grandchildren: Jordan Nordgaarden of Copperas Cove TX & Jarae (Zach) Schreiber of Oceanside CA. His family wishes to thank all Vern's family and friends for their prayers and support during this time. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Community Cancer Services in Sandpoint; 1215 Michigan St. Suite B.