Joseph "J.L." Lee Coats

     A funeral service for Joseph Lee “J.L.” Coats, 85, will be held at 2:00 P.M., Saturday, February 28, 2026, in the Wheeler Mortuary Chapel with Pastor Don Thomas officiating.  J.L. will be laid to rest in the Portales Cemetery next to his beloved wife Anice with Randy Coats, Matt Coats, Adam Coburn, Bobby Castillo, Reuben Evans, Dakota Beaty, R.J. Evans and Isaiah Ornelaz serving as pallbearers.

The family will receive friends on Friday from 5-8 P.M. at Wheeler Mortuary.

     Joseph Lee “J.L.” Coats was born on October 24, 1940, in Baird, Texas, to the home of Arcola Mae (Trussell) and Ottis Lee Coats and passed away on February 20, 2026, in Amarillo, Texas.

     J.L. and his family moved to Portales in 1943. He attended school in Portales and graduated from Portales High School.  On June 22, 1958, he married Anice Coats in Farwell, Texas.  His family owned Coats & Coats Truck Stop from 1955 to 1981.  In 1959, J.L. began his career driving trucks.  He drove for his father, OL Coats, and also for Bill Bass and Crozier before he began driving for Walmart.  He drove for Walmart from 1987 until 2020 when he retired.  J.L. enjoyed antiques, old pickup truck and antique trucks.  He loved truck shows, truck museums and watching old westerns on the Broke Channel.  J.L. enjoyed having coffee three times a week with buddies at various truck stops.

     J.L. is survived by his sons, Jay Coats & wife Lorrie of Lockney, Texas and James Coats & wife Dianne of Portales; his companion, Cindy Rea; his sister-in-law, Debbie Coats of Shallowater; his grandchildren, Jaycee, Randy, Shelby, Jodyee, Dixie “D.J.”, Kourtnie and Jordyn, 15 great grandchildren, and seven great-great grandchildren and a peanut on the way.

     He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Anice Coats in April of 2000, his brother Wink Coats in December of 2021 and a grandson Jeremy in 2023.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Joseph "J.L." Lee Coats, please visit our floral store.