08/15/2024
It's with a heavy and sad heart for me to share that my Dad Don Coker passed away at his home Thursday August 8th, 2024 😭
Many of you might not have known that a week after he retired from owning and operating his automotive shop, KwikTune KwikLube, for 50 years that I took him in for a routine scope for acid reflux and to see if he had an ulcer. During that scan we found out my Dad had back of throat tongue cancer 😭
We were devastated! He was beside himself. Never smoked a day in his life 🚭 unless you count tail pipes because that's the only thing we could come up with 😩
After weeks of chemo and radiation, he rang that completion bell 🔔🎉 but then the recovery phase set in and that was no fun at all! The things I watched him go through were devastating 😭 including his airway closing up in January and being put on a ventilator. And then just a short week later the doctors had to give him a tracheostomy. Not to mention he wasn't able to swallow, eat, or drink since October or November last year so had to take everything in by a feeding tube that was placed in his stomach 😭
With the help of family and friends, while staying at our house, he was doing it! His breathing got better as the infection and swelling was clearing up. The doctors removed the tracheostomy in May, and was able to go back to his own home just in time for the Memorial Day weekend 🙌
He was on his way!
But then the pain set in 😭 tongue, back, neck, ribs, stomach, legs, the list goes on. It just felt like he couldn't catch a break 💔 all while still not being able to eat or drink normally 🥹 so he lost a lot of weight. In turn, he became weaker by the day 😭
I have been dealing with some health issues myself recently, so I was in constant communication with our doctors regularly about how we can help him get better and what we can do to relieve his pain. We were trying so many things that he was getting annoyed with me. Imagine that 🙄 but nothing seemed to help.
My Husband Josh P Hunt and I took him to Iowa City the Monday prior. The doctors said the infection was gone in his throat. His airway was good. He should start talking better soon. And to keep up with the therapy in hopes that his frozen epiglottitis that helps you swallow would get better 🙏
But he was tired 😩 and still very weak. Josh was doing some things for him Wednesday night at his house. 24 hours later on Thursday night I was dropping off yet another medication when I found my Dad had collapsed on his bedroom floor where he had passed away 😭😭💔😭😭😭💔😭😭
I can't tell you how devastating that was for me and still is! I still don't even know how this is real 😭 He literally just turned 68 a few weeks ago! He didn't even get a chance to enjoy all the things he wanted to do in his retirement 😭 I am so incredibly sad for him for that! It's just not fair! He deserved better!
So to honor him, we are going to do everything we can to share our stories and say our goodbyes and farewells next week at
The Runge Mortuary & Crematory
838 E Kimberly Rd Davenport IA
Visitation Thursday August 22nd from 4pm to 7pm
Funeral Friday August 23rd at Noon followed by his Burial at Davenport Memorial Park Cemetery with a small gathering afterwards
We cordially invite you all to join us as we send my Dad off to Dance with the Angels 🕺😇
Stay tuned for his obituary as we are finishing up all the details.
Tiffany Coker Hunt
💝 😭
