Monte ran away from home so he could join the Navy, went to war when he was 15, and became one of the youngest sailors at the Battle of Iwo Jima. But in his northwest Huntsville neighborhood, he was better known for driving through town with a car load of dogs. He had six dogs, Dusty, Lady, Sandy, Cricket, Puppy and Chevy, named after Chivas Regal. Monte usually drove Chevy and the other dogs in shifts of two or three, never all of them at once, even after the deaths of Puppy and Chevy. He owned a compact car. The Acura Integra has remained in his sons driveway since his father died of cancer. He was a native of Chattanooga and lived the final 48 years of his life in Huntsville. In early 1944, a month or two after his 15th birthday, Coffey ran away from home to join the Navy. When he was in basic training, his mother, Loena, asked the Navy to return her son to Chattanooga. "He's underage," she said. "Can you do something?"If he ran away once, he'll run away again, a Navy official told her. Besides, the official said, it'll be a while before he goes to war. But Coffey, an accomplished radio man, completed basic and advanced training sooner than expected. He was still 15 when he was sent to war. His first battle was at Iwo Jima, perhaps the most pivotal event in the final months of World War II. Chris honestly thought his dad could do anything. When he was a small boy, he saw a car rolling down a hill and his father stopped it before it hit anything. I remember thinking he was Clark Kent revealing his identity. I thought my dad was Superman. At age 20, Coffey, newly married, designed his and his wife's first home. Then Coffey and his father-in-law built it. When the Huntsville Athletic Club opened in the 1970s, Coffey, an avid tennis player, became a charter member. Then he designed, built and installed the console box that controlled the lights and heat. They still use it. Coffey's love of tennis was so great that he once rejected a promotion at work because it required overnight travel during the week. Chris inherited his father's love of tennis. They played together for more than 30 years. He taught his son, Play fair, be honest, and treat people well. It's people, not the game, that's important. When it came to people, Coffey favored children. When he saw the child of one of his friends, he shoved some money in the child's hand and said, Here, go buy yourself some candy. When it came to animals, he favored dogs. Not only did he take them for rides in his cars, but he gave them some of his most prized possessions. Monte bought a pair of expensive shoes. The dogs chewed up one of the shoes. So Monte gave them the other shoe.

LTJG RM3 United Staes Navy
World War II, Korea