06/09/2026
Wayne Augusta Coble
Wayne Augusta Coble, a longtime Arlington resident, respected business owner, devoted husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and friend, leaves behind a legacy marked by hard work, faithfulness, humor, generosity, and genuine love for people.
Wayne was born on September 30, 1934, in Lockney, Texas, to Ivan Luther Coble and Ila Foster Coble. His family later settled in Mansfield when his parents purchased a dairy farm, where Wayne learned the value of hard work at an early age. He spent his childhood until he left for college on this farm, milking cows, and tending to a large flock of chickens and extensive garden. As a boy he often rode his black and white pinto horse, Midge, to school and, on occasion, drove a tractor. where his teacher would follow him in her car and headlights after dark.
Wayne graduated from Mansfield High School in 1953. He enrolled at Arlington State College where he received a football scholarship and joined the ROTC. He played nose guard on defense and tackle on offensive. After two years at Arlington State College, where he received his associate degree, Wayne was recruited by several major colleges, including Texas A&M under Bear Bryant, the University of Texas, Florida State, and Oklahoma State University. Texas A&M didn’t allow women at the time and Nancy also wanted to finish her college education. He chose Oklahoma State, where he continued his football career, remained involved in ROTC, and graduated in 1957 with a degree in Petroleum Geology.
On August 13, 1955, before heading to Oklahoma, Wayne married the love of his life, Nancy Dean Dunsworth Coble. Together, they built a life rooted in love, partnership, family, and community. Following college, Wayne served two years of active duty in the United States Army, stationed at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. He then served four years with the Texas National Guard 49th Armored Division as a tank commander.
After his military service, jobs in the oil business were at an all-time low and finding work was necessary. Wayne found work at GM unloading boxcars and later at Chance Vought as a draftsman. Though he was capable and hardworking, he knew it was not what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. His older brother, James, was working for local insurance man, Roy Williams, and set up an interview for Wayne. Roy recognized Wayne’s natural ability to connect with people and recruited him into the insurance business. Wayne began his insurance career working as an independent agent with Roy Williams Insurance and later with Travelers Insurance before founding The Coble Company, which later became Coble Cravens Insurance.
Insurance gave Wayne the opportunity to do what he loved most: build relationships. Wayne knew everybody, and everybody seemed to know Wayne. His wife, Nancy, worked alongside him as bookkeeper and accountant and together they made a great team. Wayne was always telling a story or a joke, and he had a way of making each person he spoke with feel like the most important person in the room. It was genuine. He was truly excited to see people, and that warmth became one of his most memorable qualities.
Wayne was deeply involved in the Arlington community. He was active in the Downtown Arlington Rotary Club, the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, served on the board of directors for Texas Commerce Bank, and served on the Arlington City Council. As both a businessman and civic leader, Wayne was well known and widely respected throughout the community he loved.
Wayne had a lifelong love outdoors. He was an avid deer hunter, and he and a group of friends formed a joint venture to purchase a ranch in West Texas in the Davis Mountains where the family spent many summers and New Year’s holidays. Before that, Chama, New Mexico, was a special place for Wayne and his hunting buddies. Wayne also built a cabin in St. Elmo, Colorado, where the family spent many wonderful summers with family and friends.
In 1983, Wayne purchased a farm as an anniversary present for Nancy. There, he raised dairy and meat cows, grew his own coastal hay, and continued his love for farming and working the land along with his family. He was also a dedicated gardener, growing a large garden every year. His favorite crop was tomatoes, black-eyed, peas, and okra.
Wayne’s family remembers him as present, engaged, supportive, and genuinely interested in their lives. He encouraged his children to discover their own passions and supported whatever they chose to pursue, whether it was Dean’s band concerts, Boy Scouts or love of forestry, or Laura’s many horse endeavors. During the time Laura was into barrel racing, Wayne grew tired of being a spectator and bought himself a horse, named Sundance, so he could barrel race in the senior division.
In later years, Wayne cherished his Friday morning breakfasts at Skillet and Grill with former teammates from Arlington State College. Those mornings were filled with friendship, memories, and stories—things Wayne loved dearly.
Wayne is preceded in death by his beloved wife, Nancy Dean Coble; his parents, Ivan Coble and Ila Foster Coble; his brothers, Ivan Joe Coble and James Leroy Coble; his sister, Peggy Joyce Coble Phillips; and his granddaughter, Ila Nadine Coble.
He is survived by his son, Dean Wayne Coble and wife, Theresa Goldman Coble; his daughter, Laura Lee Coble Perkins and husband, David Scott Perkins; his grandchildren, Jackson Elliott Dean Perkins and fiancé Molly Timofte, Katherine Augusta Lee Perkins Turner and husband Nathan Turner, Harrison David Wayne Perkins and his wife Alondra Padron Perkins, and Ivan Barrett Coble; Great grandsons Walker David Perkins and Henry Wayne Turner; his brother, Harold Lloyd Coble and wife, Judy Coble; his sister, Trudy Johnson; along with many extended family members, friends, former teammates, business associates, and community members whose lives were touched by him.
Wayne’s life was full of stories, friendships, service, adventure, and love. He was a man who worked hard, loved deeply, laughed often, and made people feel seen. His legacy will continue through his family, the relationships he built, the community he served, and the countless memories shared by all who had the privilege of knowing him.
A visitation will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 23, at Wade Funeral Home. A funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 24, at Wade Funeral Home, with graveside service to follow at Arlington Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Ila Nadine Coble Memorial Scholarship at Stephen F. Austin State University, SFA Alumni Foundation, P.O. Box 6096, Nacogdoches, Texas 75962; or to the H.A.D. Dunsworth Memorial Scholarship at UTA, UTA Development and Alumni Relations, Box 19198, Arlington, Texas 76019.
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