SEASONS OF STRENGTH: A LIFE WELL LIVED

On the 21st of April 1939, my loving parents Gussie Coutryer and Mary Richardson welcomed me to the world, deep in the Gullah lands of Charleston, SC. At a very early age, I traveled to the Queen City, to live with my beloved Aunt and Uncle, Julia and John Washington. As a child growing up on Long Street, life was filled with love and laughter. As a teenager, I attended the #1 school in the city.... Second Ward High, home of the mighty, mighty Tigers. After graduation, I enrolled at Johnson C. Smith University; however I put my studies on hold to serve our country in the United States Army.

Honorably discharged from the Army, I enrolled in Carver College and began my career with the United States Postal Service. To know me is to know that life has always been a time of adventure and travel. Many of my fondest memories we're made during excursions to visit my brothers and sisters in New York. Of course, now they are spread out all over the USA.

I am survived by sisters Evelyn Scott, Barbara Williams, Gustina Capers, and Dr. Sharon Coutryer and brothers Glenn Coutryer, Eric Coutryer, and David Coutryer along with many nieces, nephews, cousins, loving relatives, and friends. Now I have transitioned to join our family's great cloud of witnesses...parents Gussie and Margaret Coutryer, sisters Calperta Watson, Dedra Patricia Coutryer, Angela Coutryer, Joann Coutryer, brothers Gussie Ben Richardson, Larry Donely and Ricky Coutryer.

Over the course of my life, I found great pleasure playing golf, and as a member of the Parbusters Club, I was able to conquer courses near and far with my lifelong friends. While I was able to add three(3) hole in ones to my resume, I'm sure some of my best work was left on bowling lanes all over this country. I was blessed to belong to one of the most talented groups of bowlers in Charlotte, The QC Strikers!!

My wife used to tell me that I was addicted to Pinochle and I was! I could play for hours on end with my Pinochle crew, because it was during a game of Pinochle that my life changed forever, and I was introduced to the most incredible woman. Every day of my life I've thanked God for the true blessings and loves of my life — my soulmate, my wife Sherrill, children Shara, Jon-Paul (Damaris), my bubbly, beautiful granddaughter Charlotte Janine, grandsons Corey, Caden, and Christian, and my grand god children Wisdom, Jessiqa and King.