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Joseph “Beau” Warren Coker, Jr. (February 27, 1952 – January 20, 2026) Joseph “Beau” Warren Coker, Jr., 73, of Surfside Beach, SC, passed away on January 20, 2026. He was born on February 27, 1952, in Fort Benning, GA, to Joseph Warren Coker, Sr. and Mary Frances (Heriot) Coker and spent much of his childhood in Turbeville, SC. He graduated from East Clarendon High School in 1969, where he excelled in both sports and academics. From there, he attended Newberry College, graduating in 1973, where he fulfilled his dream of playing football and earned a starting position as a freshman. After college, he attended the University of South Carolina, where he earned his MBA. While attending school and teaching at Sumter Tech, he met Beverly (Fair) Coker and her son, and they were married on June 3rd, 1978. In his professional career, he spent many years at Digital Equipment Corporation, where he was thrilled to work with innovative technology that helped bring computers into people’s everyday lives. After his time at Digital, he pursued further education and became a Financial Advisor and Stock Broker. He and his wife, Beverly, retired in 2018 and moved to Surfside Beach, SC. He never missed a Clemson football game and took great joy in cheering for his team. His hobbies included collecting and restoring one-of-a-kind antiques and playing the guitar. He was known for his sense of humor, intelligence, and quick wit, brightening the lives of all who knew him. He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Beverly; a brother, Robert “Bob” (Christy) Coker; cousins who were raised as sisters, Lee Wilson and Frankie Green; a son, Phillip Joseph (Claudia) Strange, and their children, Jagger Strange and Brooklyn Strange; and two daughters, Charlotte Erin Coker, mother of Wyatt Newhouse, and Dr. Sarah Bradham (Nathan) Worthan. He had three grandchildren whom he loved very much, especially when they visited him at the beach. He is preceded in death by his parents, Joseph Warren Coker, Sr. and Mary Frances (Heriot) Coker, and cousin raised as a brother, George Heriot. Arrangements for a celebration of life will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made in Beau’s honor to the Michael J. Fox Foundation, an organization that was especially meaningful to him due to his battle with Parkinson’s disease and its focus on research and improving therapies. He will be deeply missed and forever remembered by all who knew and loved him.

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Joseph "Beau" Warren Coker Jr.

February 27, 1952 - January 20, 2026