Los
Angeles County
Biographies
JOAN SHIRLEY COLEMAN
A
remarkable young woman, the mother of four children, whose warm-heartedness
includes a love for animals, Joan Shirley Coleman has been the manager of the
San Gabriel Humane Society since 1957.
The oldest chartered organization in southern California, it is the only
humane society in the San Gabriel Valley; its charter specifies prevention of
cruelty to children and animals. Mrs.
Coleman is the only woman manager in the State Humane Officers Association,
whose requirement for membership is very high; candidates must be approved by
the state. She is also on the board of
directors of the State Humane Officers Association.
Since
Mrs. Coleman became its manager, the entire kennels of the San Gabriel Humane
Society have been renovated, she obtained the use of sodium pentothal for
putting animals to sleep, established an outstanding veterinarian service, and
had the kennels heated. The main concern
of the San Gabriel Humane Society, which has all types of animals, is to place
pets in good homes, and requests for animals are investigated to prevent
cruelty. The San Gabriel Society finds
homes for seventy-five per cent of its animals, compared to the Los Angeles
County average of eleven per cent. All
nine of Mrs. Coleman’s employees have been had picked to insure that they are
people who love animals. Plans are now
being made for relocating the Society, building a new office, and adding an
animal farm. Plans are also being made
to include animal education in the school systems.
Born
on July 29, 1928, in Detroit, Michigan, Mrs. Coleman is the daughter of William
and Georgia (Topping) Briggs, both natives of Halton,
Yorkshire, England. Her father has
passed away; her mother lives in Temple City.
Mrs. Coleman received her elementary and high school education at Winton
House School for Girls in London, and prior to coming to San Gabriel in 1955,
owned and operated a ranch in Utah.
In
Fallon, Nevada, on June 19, 1955, the former Joan S. Briggs was married to
Wayne L. Coleman of Midway, Utah. He is
a detective lieutenant on the San Gabriel Police Force, and a member of the
American Legion, Post Number 442, in San Gabriel. He is also active in the Boy Scouts and manages
Little League baseball in the Sunnyslope League. The Coleman’s have four children: Teresa Gay, who attends Oak Avenue School in
Temple City; John William, who attends Emperor School in San Gabriel; and
twins, Wayne Frank and Keith Hugh.
Mrs.
Coleman attends the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Arcadia
Ward. She is a member of the Emperor and
Oak Avenue Parent-Teachers’ Associations, and is secretary of the Girl Scouts,
Santa Anita Chapter. Several of the Girl
Scout troops in that chapter have adopted the ideals of the Humane Society and
cooperate with the society in special projects.
As
one might expect, Mrs. Coleman owns four cats and a St. Bernard. She also makes hobbies of training dogs and
coin collecting, and enjoys bowling.
Transcribed by
V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
Historical Volume & Reference Works Including Alhambra, Monterey Park,
Rosemead, San Gabriel & Temple City, by Robert P. Studer,
Pages 725-727, Historical Publ., Los Angeles, California. 1962.
© 2013 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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NUGGET'S LOS ANGELES BIOGRAPHIES