Theos-Talk Archives (May 2005 Message tt00720)

I only met John Coats once, in my hometown, Porto Alegre, in 1979. He 
was on his way to the summer school of the TS in Argentina. He had 
become a legend among the Young Theosophists in South America, 
particularly Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil. He was a really great 
guy, full of warmth, joy and a sense of fun, and was a great 
inspiration to me as a young new member. 

While in Porto Alegre, I was assigned the task to take him on a 
sightseeing tour. Those who knew him will realize what an impossible 
task it was for him to get into my Volkswagen! He was, I think, six 
feet four inches tall. 

Traditionally, after the international convention at Adyar, the Adyar 
Lodge offers a reception to those delegates who remain on the 
compound after the closing of the convention. These meetings would 
sometimes feature classical Indian dance and music or some other 
programme. In one of those receptions, we had Joy Mills, Ianthe 
Hoskins and Mary Anderson sharing their recollections on "the lighter 
side of Theosophy".

At that particular meeting Joy Mills told us this following story 
about John Coats. N. Sri Ram, the fifth international President of 
the TS, died in April 1973. An election was then called forth which 
had as contestants, afaik, John Coats, Rukmini Devi Arundale, James 
Perkins and Radha Burnier. John Coats, at the time the results were 
declared, proclaiming him the winner in a tight race with Rukmini 
Devi, was on a lecture tour in the American Section. Joy, then 
National President, immediately contacted him, gave him the news and 
asked him to rush back to Wheaton to plan his trip to India in order 
to take office. John said he was going to take the next available 
flight, which he did.

Completely unknown to him was the fact that on that same flight they 
were transporting interns of a mental asylum and that his seat was 
right in the middle of the group. The interns' supervisor, before 
departure, proceeded to conduct a head count. "One, two, three, four" 
and, coming to John, he asked: "You, who are you?" John replied 
calmly: "I am the newly elected President of the Theosophical 
Society." The supervisor, then continued his count, including 
John: "five, six, seven, ...".

I believe this to be a true story told by John himself to Joy on his 
arrival at Wheaton. Twenty six years after his death, his memory 
still touches many in South-America, and many of his enthusiastic 
Young Theosophists are now leading national Sections in that part of 
the world. As Joy Mills wrote in her tribute to him in the April 1980 
John Coats Commemorative issue of "The Theosophist", he was the good 
friend to whom we do not say farewell, just good bye until we meet 
again.


pedro