Barbara Williams Coughenour

Barbara Allen Williams Coughenour, aka Bee, GranBee, and Aunt Bee, 83, of Kingsport, Tennessee, passed away peacefully on August 30, 2026, surrounded by her family.

Born in Bristol, Virginia, to Katherine and Allen Williams, Barbara grew up in Kingsport. She attended Dickson Elementary School, John Sevier Middle School, and Dobyns-Bennett High School before attending East Tennessee State University.

If there was one thing Barbara knew how to do, it was show up for friends, family, and community.

She was a mother, wife, secretary, Realtor, neighbor, friend, classmate, cheerleader, organizer, encourager, and welcoming presence to everyone she encountered. She was vivacious and outgoing, with a little sass and a lot of heart. Thoughtful, generous, compassionate, intuitive, funny, loving, and welcoming, Barbara truly never met a stranger. She loved to laugh, sing, dance, celebrate, serve, and make people feel included.

It was in freshman English class that she met the love of her life, Thomas Francis “Tommy” Coughenour, whom she married on August 25th, 1962. Together they built a life and family and raised their three children: Christina Anne “Chris” Coughenour Taraschke, Thomas Allen “Tad” Coughenour, and John Francis “Cornflower” Coughenour. Tommy preceded her in death on November 3rd, 2008.

Barbara passed just five days after what would have been their 64th wedding anniversary.

Throughout Tommy’s years coaching cross country and track, Barbara became such an integral part of the lives of his student-athletes and the meets themselves that they affectionately knew her simply as “Mrs. Coach.” She was there cheering, supporting, encouraging, helping, and making sure everyone knew somebody was in their corner.

That same spirit followed Barbara everywhere.

During her career as a Realtor, Barbara worked with Don Slaughter, Century 21, and RE/MAX Results and became known as “Kingsport’s Friendliest Realtor,” a title that suited her perfectly. Her warmth was never merely professional.

Welcoming people was simply part of who Barbara was. When new neighbors moved into the Fair Acres neighborhood, she was known to arrive at their door with a roast. She understood that community was something you created through small acts of kindness, and she spent her life creating it.

Barbara also remained deeply connected to her Dobyns-Bennett High School Class of 1960. With endless school spirit, she helped lead class reunions, organized regular First Friday gatherings, and kept classmates connected and informed about one another through their online group. She was everybody’s cheerleader, and maintaining those relationships mattered deeply to her.

Her faith and church community were another important part of her life. Barbara was deeply involved at St. Dominic Catholic Church, including through her beloved Chatter and Pray group, where friendship, faith, conversation, and community came together in a way that suited her beautifully.

Barbara was openhearted toward people from all walks of life and possessed a genuine desire to be of service. She understood instinctively when someone needed encouragement, connection, laughter, or simply another person beside them.

And Barbara knew how to enjoy life.

She loved the classic R&B and soul music of the 1950s and ’60s and loved singing and dancing along to her favorite songs. She loved banana splits and chocolate fudge sundaes. She treasured the food her mother prepared, her husband’s biscuits and gravy, pretty much anything her daughter Chris or son Tad made, and her son John’s bacon-and-eggs breakfasts.

And anyone who truly knew Barbara knew about her love affair with Peachy Tea.

Her love of Pal’s Peachy Tea, with light ice, always, became one of those wonderfully ordinary things that was unmistakably hers, remaining a favorite comfort through the final days of her life.

Above all, Barbara loved people.

She loved her family fiercely. She is survived by her three children, Christina Anne “Chris” Coughenour Taraschke and her husband, retired Master Sergeant John Alan Taraschke; Thomas Allen “Tad” Coughenour; and John Francis “Cornflower” Coughenour; her four grandchildren, Adam Vaughn Taraschke, Hannah Katherine Taraschke, Jacob Louis Taraschke, and Laurel Grace Taraschke; and her siblings, Anne (and Henry) Goldman, Becky (and Herb) Piercy, and Mike (and Debbi Hunter) Williams.

She is also survived by her nieces and nephews Wendy, Herb, Allen, Reagan, Jeff, Amy, Cindy, Jamie, Chad, Amanda, and Thomas; her great-nieces and great-nephews; her many beloved cousins; and an extraordinary community of friends, classmates, neighbors, church family, former clients, student-athletes, and countless others whose lives were made brighter because Barbara was part of them.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Thomas Francis “Tommy” Coughenour; her parents, Allen Boyce Williams and Katherine Marie Blanche Wade Williams; and her niece, Karyn Coughenour.

The family wishes to extend its deepest gratitude to everyone who cared for Barbara throughout her journey: everyone at Holston Valley Hospital; Dr. Robert Funke; NP Jennifer Lane, Crystal, Bree, and everyone at Mountain Region Family Medicine; everyone at Encompass, Amedisys, and NHC, including Joey, PJ, and Cornbread; and especially the superhuman Earth Angels at Smoky Mountain Home Health & Hospice who helped her cross the finish line: Julie, the two Tammies, Kelly, LeAnne, Candee, Melissa, Patsy, Holly and every nurse, social worker, and CNA who held her, loved on her, and cared for her like family. You are forever in our hearts.

In addition, the family extends its deepest gratitude to the extraordinary community whose overwhelming outpouring of love and support carried Barbara and her family through her final journey. We are blessed.

Barbara spent her life being a light in other people’s lives.

She showed up. She cheered. She welcomed. She fed people. She remembered people. She kept people connected. She danced. She laughed. She loved.

Her absence will be enormous, but so is the love she leaves behind.

All are welcome to join the family for visitation on Saturday, September 5, 2026, at St. Dominic Catholic Church from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., followed by the Funeral Mass at 1:00 p.m. A reception and time of fellowship will follow in the Parish Life Center.

In lieu of flowers, the family invites those who wish to offer support to contribute to Barbara’s youngest son, John Coughenour’s GoFundMe, as he begins rebuilding his life and livelihood after nearly five years as her primary, live-in caregiver.

For more information, please visit John’s GoFundMe:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/standing-with-cornflower-in-his-time-of-need