Corky Coker, Coker Tire CEO; Wade Kawasaki, Coker Group president; and Harold Coker at his TIA Hall of Fame induction. Photos courtesy Coker Tire.
Though perhaps best known as the founder of Coker Tires, Harold Coker was a man of many talents, who served for 20 years on the Hamilton County Commission and was often referred to as the father of the Hamilton County Republican Party. Recently honored in Las Vegas with induction into the Tire Industry Hall of Fame, Harold died on Sunday at the age of 84.
Born in 1929, Harold Coker was the first in his family to graduate from college, following a 1949 associate’s degree in chemical engineering from Tennessee Wesleyan College with a 1951 bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Tennessee Tech. Following a stint with tire manufacturer BFGoodrich, Harold founded Coker Tire in Athens, Tennessee, in 1958, with seed money provided by his father from the sale of the family home. In 1961, thanks in part to the company’s rapid growth, Coker Tire moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee, where it remains today.
Harold and Lill Coker.
With Harold at the helm, Coker Tire grew to become the world’s largest supplier of collector car tires and wheels, and he remained an integral part of the company (now run by son Corky Coker) until his retirement in 2004. Even beyond this, the elder Coker retained the position of Chairman of the Board Emeritus until his death. Harold also served for two decades on the Hamilton County Commission, where he was elected to the role of chairman three times, and in 1985, he was elected president of National Tire Dealers and Re-Treaders Association.
Harold had a lifelong passion for automobiles, likely inherited from his father, who was said to be a gifted mechanic with a passion for Model A Fords. Harold was well-known as a collector of classic cars, and his efforts helped to create a chapter of the Antique Automobile Club of America in Athens, Tennessee. In 1972, he was elected president of the AACA’s National club.
Harold is survived by his wife of 61 years, Lillian; brother, Bob; sons Corky and David; daughter, Christie Bowen; seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
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