Obituaries

Thomas Martin Coughlin, III

Photo of Thomas Martin Coughlin, III
Thomas Martin Coughlin, III, of Bentonville, Ark., passed away Friday, April 1, 2016. Mr. Coughlin was born June 28, 1949 in Cleveland, Ohio to Marguerite Freeman Coughlin and Thomas Martin Coughlin, Jr. Tom was a graduate of St. Edward High School, Cleveland, Ohio and California State University, Hayward, Calif. He played football in high school and college. He met and married Cynthia Anne Herbert in 1973, and they celebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary in February 2016. He began his career with Macy's in San Francisco, Calif., followed by a career with Cook United of Cleveland, Ohio after graduation. He was recruited by Sam Walton in 1978 and began his career as Vice-President of Loss Prevention for Walmart. His 27 years with Walmart included positions in Human Resources, Specialty Group, Sam's Club, and Walmart Operations. He retired in 2005 as Vice-Chairman of the company. Tom held numerous board positions, including: Walmart Board of Directors, The Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton County, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, the Chairman of Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE, currently ENACTUS), Alien Technologies, Geeknet, Inc., Corrective Education Corporation, The Retail Equation, and Balance, Inc. He is preceded in death by his parents and two sisters, Karen Coughlin and Margaret Mary Coughlin. He is survived by his wife, Cynthia and three children: Kelly Coughlin, Thomas Coughlin IV, wife, Susan, and grandchild, Thomas Coughlin V, as well as son, Michael Coughlin and wife, Kathleen. He is also survived by his brother, Tim Coughlin of Columbia, S.C.; sisters: Mary Patricia Coughlin and husband, Jerry Keiner of Columbus, Ohio, Colleen Coughlin, Nancy Williams and husband, Howie, and Kathleen Coughlin, all of Cleveland, Ohio; brothers-in-law, Ernest Herbert and wife, Linda, Daniel Herbert and wife, Vanessa; sister-in-law, Leslie Herbert, all of San Diego, Calif.; and sister-in-law, Claire Klinker of Seattle, Wash.; in addition to many nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be at 1:30 p.m., Saturday, April 9, 2016 at St. Stephen Catholic Church, 1300 NE J Street, Bentonville, Ark. Visitation is scheduled from 4-6 p.m. on Friday, April 8, 2016 also at St. Stephen Catholic Church. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Edward High School, 13500 Detroit Avenue, Lakewood, OH 44107; the Miller McNeil Woodruff Foundation, 6518 South Timber Ridge Dr., Rogers, AR 72758; or The Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton County, P.O. Box 448, Bentonville, AR 72712. Arrangements have been entrusted to Stockdale-Moody Funeral Services of Rogers. Memories may be shared at stockdalefuneral.com.

Published April 4, 2016

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