Dale Coy

Dale Coy, age 78, of Little Rock, Arkansas passed away peacefully on December 30, 2025 at St. Vincent's Infirmary/Arkansas Hospice House, with the love of his life by his side. He completed his earthly journey and is now free from the pain and suffering that had been so challenging in his final years.

Dale was born, April 13, 1947, in Paragould, to Don and Bernadiene Coy and was the third of nine children. He married his wife, Karen, on September 1, 1967, and remained a devoted spouse for 58 years. Dale was a person of Christian faith. He had been a lifelong member of the Church of Christ and attended Pinnacle Church of Christ until he was no longer able. Dale knew a lot of scripture and would quietly and consistently let the foundations and pillars of his faith guide the way that he lived. Dale lived his life guided by the principles of honesty, integrity, hard work, and devotion, and these principles were evident in all that he did.

Dale had his first job washing dishes in the school cafeteria in 5th grade. When he met his now wife, he was working in a shoe store until 5:00 PM, then at a service station until 10:00 PM, and keeping books for a local pharmacy all while attending Arkansas State University. Dale enlisted in the US Army Reserves in 1966, and when he returned to college he worked nights at General Electric. During his last three semesters in college, he worked as an intern for the Internal Revenue Service.

After earning his BS in Accounting from ASU, Dale worked as a Special Agent for the US Treasury. He passed his CPA Exam in 1974, and in 1979 moved his family to Paragould where he owned a private accounting practice until his retirement in 2016. Throughout his professional career, Dale began purchasing farm land and then established Coy Land, LLC - growing cotton, soybeans, and peanuts.

Dale was also a fervent public servant. He was a member of the Paragould Kiwanis Club. He coached little league baseball and served as the Treasurer of the Baseball Association. He was elected to the Paragould School Board and the Paragould City Council. He was also one of the founding organizers of the Greene County Scholarship Fund. Dale was a member of the Arkansas Society of Certified Public Accountants, serving as President for one year. He was appointed by Governor Beebe to the Arkansas State Board of Public Accountancy where he also served one year as President.

After retirement, Dale and Karen moved from Paragould to Little Rock to be closer to the real joys of their lives, their granddaughters. Dale spent many evenings and weekends at dance recitals, pageants, plays, and other school activities supporting Anne Marie and Alexis in anything that they chose to do.

Dale is preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, Mike Coy and Ronnie Coy; his in-laws, Lando and Jewel Moore; his brothers in-law, Charles Moore and Nippy Mangrum; and his nephew, Braxton Coy. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Karen; son, Tommy and his wife, Jennie; granddaughters, Anne Marie of New Orleans and Alexis of Little Rock; brothers, Doug Coy of Springdale, Tim Coy and Susan of Paragould, Stephen Coy and Jim McGuire of Boston, and Mark Coy of Chicago; sisters Nancy Mangrum of Paragould and Angela O'Connell and Joe of Fayetteville; and sisters in-law, Janet Coy and Cheryl Coy. Dale is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

Under the direction of Roller-Chenal Funeral Home, visitation will be Tuesday, January 6, from 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM at Pinnacle Church of Christ, # 1 Shackleford Drive, Little Rock. Funeral service will immediately follow the visitation at 10:30 AM. Burial will be at Cardwell Cemetery in Cardwell, MO at 3:30 PM.

Memorials can be made to Pinnacle Church of Christ Building Fund, #1 Shackleford Drive, Little Rock, AR 72211 or to the Cardwell Cemetery Association, P.O. Box 482, Cardwell, MO 63829.