Honoring Dusty Coakley: Support His Memorial

Sadly, Dustin “Dusty” Coakley was in a tragic vehicle accident this morning and he is no longer with us.

His brothers would like to share this message to all:

I don’t even really know how to start this, because standing here and saying goodbye to our brother still doesn’t feel real.

When we were kids, I always looked up to him. And not just because he was taller than everybody else — though he really towered over us. I looked up to him because he was my big brother. He just had that presence. Everyone seemed to radiate off his energy. That energy. He walked into a room, and people noticed. We would watch him play basketball, and study him — the way he moved, the way he carried himself, the way he made it all look easy. Then I’d go out and try to copy those same moves, trying to be just like him.

As we got older, we started to hang out more. We’d party, laugh, get into trouble, late-night talks, and a lot of brotherly fights. Some of those times were the best I can remember. And yeah — there were some bad times, too. Some hard conversations. Some moments that weren’t easy to understand or deal with for any of us.

Everybody that knew him knows he was the life of the party but he was a complicated person. If we’re being honest — and I think he’d appreciate honesty more than anything — there’s been some weird stuff these last few months. Social media posts that left people confused or concerned. And I know his kids have their own struggles with the kind of dad he was — or wasn’t. I’m not here to sugarcoat any of that.

But what I am here to say is this: through it all, he was still our brother. That never changed. And we loved him through all of it. We still do, & always will.

Love doesn’t always look neat and tidy. Sometimes it shows up in messy, complicated, even painful ways. But it’s still love. And even though he wasn’t perfect — none of us are — he mattered. To me. To our family. To everyone reading this today.

I’m gonna miss him. For the laughs. For the moments we shared. For the bond we had that only brothers really understand.

Rest easy, Brother. We love you. Always.

We truly appreciate the love and support from everyone reaching out today. For those who’ve asked how to contribute, we’ve created a GoFundMe page—every donation will go directly toward the memorial services, helping us honor Dusty's life alongside family and friends.

His funeral services are being held at James Funeral Home in Newton Falls, Ohio. Any donations directly to the funeral home for the cost of his services is appreciated by the family.

Services and information will be made available soon.