Brent Jay Coleman

Brent Jay Coleman died as a result of a stroke on June 29, 2020 in Midland, Texas. He was 68. The third of five children of George and Emeline (known as Val) Coleman, Brent was born on May 27, 1952 in Talara, Peru, where his dad, a petroleum engineer, was working with Esso’s International Petroleum operation. Talara was an idyllic setting for Brent and the athletic, active, and social Coleman family. There Esso (now Exxon) built a company enclave populated by a diverse collection of oil ex-patriots from many ports of call. Living in the desert on the Pacific coast, the kids in Talara could be described as free-range children, fishing, swimming, horseback riding, all the while learning to treasure nature, to be self-reliant and mutually supportive, and to appreciate local culture. Brent appreciated and held close to his childhood in Talara for the rest of his life.After Peru, the Colemans roamed from Venezuela to Australia and then to Japan, with postings as well in Denmark and Guatemala, finally roosting for many happy years by the bay in Key Biscayne, Florida. Brent in the meantime earned his undergraduate degree, an M.S. in Biochemistry and then a medical degree. After his academic training, Brent served for a number of years as a reserve officer with the United States Navy Medical Corps, ultimately attaining the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Always visiting Key Biscayne and family, he pursued a career first as a trauma doctor and then as a small-town doctor in South Padre Island. He was dedicated to a holistic approach to health and making healthcare work for his patients, whatever the state of their insurance coverage or personal resources might have been. Later, he moved to Alpine and then finally to Midland, following the love of his life, Brenda Iskra, to her hometown.Brent is best understood by how he lived. He was one of those uncommon souls who created his life experiences on his own terms. Lofty and uncompromising with himself in his values, he charted his own path. He was something of a paradox. He was at once robust and self-effacing, erupting with varied enthusiasms, tempered by a gentlemanly demeanor. Inwardly he was deeply thoughtful and reverent. As much as he craved adventure, philosophy, literature, poetry, and music were his wellsprings. He was a serious auto-didact, constantly cultivating his interests and spiritual nourishment, spending much of his time writing poetry, novels, and music. In recent years he found high purpose in teaching at Midland College, where he valued his colleagues and derived much satisfaction in helping a new generation become EMT and Paramedic certified. But his most salient characteristic to those who knew him well, the one that elicited the most spontaneous commentary when he suddenly became ill, was his fundamental goodness and generosity. He felt deeply the beauty in people as well as in nature. He always cared for others, whether a wounded bird or orphaned fox, or a friend in need. Always ready with a helping and if needed protective hand, always mindful of others, he embraced people in all circumstances with friendliness, compassion, and kindness, always making others feel special. His loving family and friends take solace in the knowledge that he was essentially a contented man who made a positive difference in many peoples’ lives.With gratitude for his good and loving nature, he is survived and mourned by his many friends, and his beloved Brenda, her son Zac and his family, his siblings Carol (Tor), Dean (Connie), Gina (Frank) and Marc, his nephews and niece Alexander, Ryan, Nik and Cailen, their spouses and fiancées, Lizzie, Steph and Kari, grandnephews Coleman, Fraser and Harrison, and a large crop of cousins.When public health considerations enable safe travel and gatherings, family and friends will meet in Midland for a celebration of life. The date and place will be announced. Then, according to Brent’s wishes, his mortal remains will repose with nature within an area around Big Bend National Park that he treasured.Arrangements are under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home Crematory of Midland. Online condolences may be made at www.npwelch.com.,