Stephen C. Coon

Stephen Craig Coon, 69, of Knoxville, passed away suddenly in his sleep on September 8, 2023. A celebration of life gathering will be held Tuesday, September 12, 2023, from 4:00 until 7:00 p.m. at the Knoxville First United Methodist Church. Interment will be held later at the Graceland Cemetery in Knoxville. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Marion County Sportsmen Club.

The son of Walter Glen and Eva Marie (Dixson) Coon, he was born November 20, 1953, in Ames. The family moved to Knoxville shortly after he was born. He grew up in Knoxville and attended Knoxville Schools graduating in 1972. While in school, he played sports, but found he enjoyed music and singing more. He and friends started a band, “The Blue Bus Band,” where he was a drummer and singer. He also loved singing in high school choir and in the school musicals. His role as Luther Billis in the musical “South Pacific” was his shinning moment, as many remember.

After high school, he went to business school in Ft. Dodge at Iowa Central. Upon graduating, he tried his hand at sales on the road, but eventually returned home and worked for Romar. He then began working at 3M where he worked for 37 years, retiring in 2014.

Stephen was married to Tracy Goff on November 21, 1981. Their families had been friends for years. It wasn’t until later in life that Steve asked her to dance that they started dating. They were blessed with 42 years together and two children: Craig and Meredith.

Stephen loved life. He loved people, telling stories, and making people laugh. He was always cheerful and loved to visit – for hours and hours. He may be best known for his Captn’s BBQ, serving many people in the Knoxville area at special events, weddings, and graduations. The BBQ started as he and his family always went to tailgate at the ISU games. He first made hamburgers and hotdogs which evolved into some of the best Prime Rib and BBQ on the planet. He made enough for everyone and loved when people stopped in to chat and have a bite. Always a supporter of his Knoxville Community, he cooked for many fund raisers including those for Dollars for Scholars. He also attended and judged the American Royale in Kansas City, an annual barbeque contest.

His interests were not limited to BBQ, he also enjoyed hunting, fishing, shooting, and golf. He enjoyed all these things with his family and friends. Stephen worked as the Flagman for the Knoxville Raceway too.

His family was the most important part of his life. Those left to cherish his memory include his wife Tracy; children Craig and Meredith; brother-in-law Steven (Betsy) Goff and their children Megan (Ryan) Lindberg and Ellie (Gerad) Stratton and their children, Lenore and Michael; cousins: Sue (Bill) Powley, Cheryl (Ken) Hurst, and Jeff (Dani) Dixson and their families. Also the children of his cousin, Jane Bauerle, as well as many friends.

Stephen was preceded in death by his parents, Walter and Eva Coon, and two half sisters, Eileen and Eleanor.