Wendy Coates

Wendy Coates, passionate performer, loving daughter, sister, aunt and friend died peacefully in her New York City apartment on May 30th, 2021.

Born in 1956 to Gordon and Nancy Coates in Detroit, Michigan, the family soon moved to Torrance, CA, then to King of Prussia, PA, and then to Erie, PA. It was in Erie that the nervous, fourteen-year old Wendy first stepped on stage as Ado Annie. Taking her bows to uproarious applause, she knew she had discovered a lifelong love of theater. She studied acting at SUNY Oswego and moved to New York City in 1979.

She adored the stage both for the thrill and art of the performance, and for the deep and loving friendships she found in the hallways outside audition rooms, in theater classes, and on the stage. These actors remained among her closest friends for the rest of her life. Wendy had acting and performing as a part of her entire adult life: she co-founded Lightning Strikes Theater Company, she performed a duet act Songs of Togetherness with friend Andrew Sellon, she did a solo cabaret and album Journeys ( 2000), she toured Pippin, she played Barister the Munchkin and a Flying Monkey in the national Tour of The Wizard of Oz, she played Santa Claus with the Rockets (2001), she played Agnes Gooch in Mame (2002), and many other roles i n theaters, clubs, and movies. In the past decade she found joy in voice-over work all while working full-time at Citibank.

In high school, a friend brought her to a Bible meeting, where she accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior. Throughout her adulthood, her Christian faith anchored her.

The community at the First Baptist Church on W 79th street strengthened her in body and spirit to meet her Savior.

In the later years of her life she cherished her work mentoring in the Turner’s Syndrome community. She taught theater during the Boston International Turner's Syndrome Summit (2016-2017) and published an essay in Standing Tall with Turner’s Syndrome sharing her life story. She ends the essay with this quote: “My friends, family, coworkers and most of all my Christian faith have worked to keep my perspective healthy. I am grateful and extremely blessed.”

She is survived by her father Gordon Coates of Northampton, MA; brother David and wife Linda Coates (Teubner) of Euless, TX; sister Elizabeth Coates and husband Bruce Finke of Northampton, MA; nephew Michael and wife Michelle Coates (Casey) of Lima, OH, niece Jessica Favret (Coates) and husband Tivon Favret of Columbus, OH, and nephew Andrew and wife Jennifer Coates (Holyfield) of Euless, TX; niece Emma Coates-Finke and spouse Grayson Lu of New York City, nephew Daniel Coates-Finke and wife Aminah Zaghab of Washington, D.C., nephew Samuel Coates-Finke of Northampton, niece Rebecca Coates-Finke of Northampton, and many extended family and friends.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Turner Syndrome Foundation at Wendy Coates Memorial Fund Website.