Why Floyd Coleman was 'simply unmatched': Elmira man remembered for community contributions

Floyd Winston Coleman Jr. didn't run a popular jazz club like his brother Howard — who owned Elmira's Green Pastures for many years — but he did have a building in Elmira named after him.

People who knew Coleman well remember him for two things especially — his unflappable demeanor, and a lifelong devotion to his community.

Much of that community service came through his decades-long involvement with the Queen City Elks Lodge No. 174, along with several other organizations devoted to the wellbeing of the Black community and the Elmira community at large.

"For over 60 years he was involved with the Elks. He was a great mentor to all the young people who followed behind him," said William Titus, exalted ruler of the Queen City Elks Lodge. "I learned a lot from Mr. Coleman. He was a man that I never saw get upset about anything."

Coleman died Jan. 3, 2024, two months shy of his 100th birthday.

A lifetime of tireless service

Coleman, an Elmira native, graduated from Elmira Free Academy before serving from 1943 to 1946 in the United States Navy, earning the rank of second class petty officer, according to his obituary.

He married his wife Sarah in 1950, and they raised three children together. Coleman worked for 26 years at Remington Rand, followed by another 15 years at the Elmira Psychiatric Center, before he retired.

Coleman didn't slow down after retirement. He took up part-time jobs with the U.S. Census Bureau and Barton's Senior Facility, and also held numerous leadership positions with the Elks organization.

After more than 70 years of dedicated service to the Elks, the Fellowship Hall of the Queen City Elks Lodge No. 174 was dedicated and renamed in his honor.

Coleman was also a lifetime member of the Frederick Douglass AME Zion Church in Elmira.

He was an active member of the Elmira-Corning Branch of the NAACP, and in 2018 he was presented with the organization's Lifetime Achievement Award for his dedicated service.

"I was overwhelmed by the numerous boards he was on, and his leadership role. He was such a humble man," said branch President Georgia Verdier.

"He was such a package deal," Verdier added. "This man not only lived, he made a difference."

'They just don't make that model anymore'

No matter how stressful or chaotic the situation, Coleman was always an oasis of calmness, reason and positivity, according to people who knew him.

He was a perfect role model for those around him, according to granddaughter Joy Brannen.

"I never heard him say anything negative. He was a very, very likeable person," Brannen said. "He was so level-headed, very laidback. He was so active and so involved."

Roland "Rollie" Coleman Jr. is the son of Coleman's brother Roland Coleman Sr. Rollie said he grew up in a family that was steeped in religion and civic involvement.

The younger Coleman agreed with Brannen that it was easy for anyone to get along with his uncle.

"He was a classic example of cool, calm and collected. He was very intelligent and thoughtful," Rollie Coleman said. "He was an exceptionally well-rounded man. He was meritorious of all the tributes and accolades he received."

Mr. Coleman was as devoted to his large family as he was to the greater community, Rollie Coleman added.

"He wasted little of his 99 years and 10 months. He was the glue in our family," he said. "They just don't make that model anymore. He was simply unmatched, in my opinion."

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This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Elmira Black leader fondly remembered for contributions to community