William Edward Coleman

William Edward Coleman, the son of Annie Byrd Bruce and Robert Mozell Bruce, Sr., departed this life on January 2, 2024 due to natural causes. William was born on February 9, 1957 in Baltimore, MD. William was born under difficult circumstances and overcame great odds twice, in early life, to not only survive serious illness, but to later thrive in his youth. As the third oldest of eight siblings, William established himself early in his teen years as a superior athlete. Growing up in the Park Heights neighborhood of Baltimore, he excelled in the three major sports, baseball, basketball and football. In local contests he was almost always the first picked for any team. Of the three sports, William was particularly fond of baseball and was an accomplished catcher behind home plate and a powerful hitter - often the neighborhood's home run leader at the end of several summer seasons. William's talent in academics included strong mathematical aptitude and solid clerical and administrative skills. He was always very comfortable with numbers and figures. His endowments were refined in his later teen years when he traveled to San Marcos, TX for training in the Job Corps program. Later, upon return to Baltimore, in early adulthood, William was employed by Williams and Wilkens, where he worked alongside his brother, Michael, in clerical responsibilities in that company's shipping and receiving department. In mid-life, William encountered many challenges and setbacks. Throughout, he always kept a positive, move forward attitude, focused on improving himself. He was very proud of the fact that in mid-life, he earned his High School Diploma in the 1990's and completed requirements for several college credits. As part of his development, he accepted a job training opportunity in 1998, in Southern California, just outside of Los Angeles, CA. Upon completion of this program, William moved to Phoenix, AZ where he lived for a time with his brother Robert. It was during this time that he worked as a telemarketer, in support of real estate ventures for a regional golf. Unfortunately, it was also during this period that William was diagnosed with glaucoma, an illness that eventually led to this complete blindness. In the early turn of the millennium (Y2K), William returned to Baltimore to be closer to family and to have access to health care resources related to his failing eyesight. In later life, William attended many family functions and got to know his children, cousins and other family and friends in a way that had not been practical or possible during most of his mid-life. He especially loved his two children Annie Denita Coleman and William Devin Bruce and sought to have the best possible relationship with them both. As a family elder, he became a valuable source of advice and counsel on matters and issues that he had become conversant in. William eventually became 100% disabled, due to blindness but did not allow this to define him as a person. He strengthened his other senses and became an expert on current sports, news and other information and data that he could still perceive. He never lost his passion for sports. William is survived by: his loving mother, Annie Elizabeth (Byrd) Bruce; his devoted son, William Devin Bruce; his loving daughter, Annie Coleman; his four grandchildren, Riya Bruce, Alanna Bruce, Odyssey Fortune and Devin Fortune; his siblings, James M. Bell (Marion), Michael A. Bruce (Annette), Renee M. Tanner (Tom - Deceased), Robin M. Bruce, Robert M. Bruce, Jr. and Rosalyn Turner (Tyrone); the mother of his child, Kathy Denita Cross (Annie); special friends, Wanda King, Kitty E. John, Adrinne Twin and Larry Charles; a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and many dear friends. He is preceded in death by his loving father, Robert M. Bruce, Sr. and his elder brother, Byron Jeffery Bell. In the twilight of his life, William came to appreciate spirituality and did his best to make amends with people that had been a part of his time on this earth. He knew God and developed his own personal relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is to Him that we pray and humbly ask for intersession as William makes his journey home.

Tributes

William Edward Coleman

February 9, 1957 - January 2, 2024