Michael Coit Decker

Born 24 March 1923 at Buffalo, Erie County, New York

Died 16 July 1960 at San Diego, San Diego County, California

Michael Coit Decker, most commonly known as Coit, was the youngest of three children born to William More Decker, Jr. and Annette Catherine Coit Decker. He was raised at Buffalo at 671 Lafayette where his father was the inventor of the Hygeia nursing bottle, and founder of Hygeia Nursing Bottle Company. In the early 1930s, the family resided briefly at Daytona Beach, Florida but returned to their home in Buffalo before 1935. Coit attended Phillips Exeter Academy at Exeter, New Hampsire and Lawrenceville School at Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Coit married to Marguerite Louise Schmidt on 10 October 1947, presumably at Buffalo. They made their home at that place at 20 New Amsterdam Avenue and where Coit was vice-president of Hygeia Nursing Bottle Company. Coit and Marguerite were the parents of two children; both daughters. The family relocated to La Jolla, California in 1954 where Coit was an agent with Mass Mutual Life Insurance Company. About 1959, they relocated to San Diego where he was a salesman with Lever Brothers. He was found in his car at San Diego, an apparent suicide. A memorial service was held at his home town of Buffalo. I don’t know if he was actually buried in the family plot at Forest Lawn Cemetery but there is a grave marker at that place for him. He was my fourth cousin, once removed, and is John More Association Jonas line cousin #441323.

*Note-his wife relocated to Santa Barbara, California sometime after his death and died at that place in 1988. Her burial information is unknown.

©2017 Cindy Coffell