Aubrey James Coward II
August 26, 1951 ~ February 16, 2026
Resided in:
Asheville, NC
Asheville Butterfly TrailAubrey James Coward passed away of cancer on Monday, February 16, in the early morning, at home. Aubrey was much beloved and survived by his wife of 50 years, Julia; his sister Patricia Fetzer; his uncle James Cox; his son Evan (Christina Manee), daughter Abigail Suarez, and son Alexander; his grandchildren Nicolas and Elizabeth Suarez; his niece Ashley Fowler and her son Gabriel Fowler and daughter Kally-Anna Fowler; many dear cousins; and many, many dear friends.
Aubrey was born in Bremerhaven, Germany, where his father was stationed with the United States Army. His early childhood as an “Army brat” was spent in places such as Germany, Hawaii, Mississippi, Georgia and South Carolina. The family finally settled in the mountains of Jackson County, North Carolina. There he attended public school and then Western Carolina University, where he earned a B.A. in History and a B.S. in Industrial Technology. Aubrey began his working career as a machinist, then rose to the position of Quality Engineer at Continental Automotive.
Motorcycle riding was a lifelong passion of Aubrey. He rode everything from Hondas and Harleys to Ducatis and BMWs. Aubrey retired in 2017, and for eight+ years he had the time to ride all he wanted. He and Julia and his dog Jim camped and travelled and spent many happy hours with family and friends.
Aubrey’s big smile, his all-out laugh, his blue eyes, his kindness, his perfect comic timing, his talent for tinkering and rigging a fix for just about anything will be terribly missed every day. He showed us what true courage and grace and dignity look like at the end of his life. It is our honor and privilege to say he belonged to us.
A Celebration of Life service will be held at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Asheville on Wednesday, March 4 at 11:00 am. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Association for Cancer Research or St. John’s Episcopal Church.
Services
Celebration of Life: March 4, 2026 11:00 am
St. John's Episcopal Church
290 Old Haw Creek Rd.
Asheville, NC 28805
(828)298-3553
Funeral Home Assisting The Family:
Groce Funeral Home on Tunnel Road
856 Tunnel Rd.
Asheville, NC 28805
(828)299-4416
http://grocefuneralhome.com
View current weather.
Memories Timeline
Guestbook
Sign the Guestbook, Light a Candle
Best friend, son ❤️
I know you will miss him.❤️
Love,
Diane Reid
Friends for 53 years. I’m really going to miss this man. Rest in peace brother.
Aubrey, it was a pleasure working with you and having you as a friend. May you rest in peace.
Diane Reid
(friend of Jean and Glenda)
Your smile will be with us always when we ride and remember.
TEVES Hendersonville:
Aibrey crossed my path which made me a better engineer and man.
100% dedicated LEADER who
supported the members on his TEAM.
I had the BLESSINGS to be one of those TEAM members.
Aubrey invited me to come join in pancake dinners at his church.
We would spend time talking about how it improved life.
Alex:
Your father would speak about You and how proud he is. The entire family is a Blessing to Aubrey.
Never forget that.
To the Family:
No more suffering, no more pain.
Inside the gate, Aubrey is now singing and shouting as he sits at the feet of the Lord being welcome home.
Glory to God.
Julia was my college roommate and we both met Aubrey at that time. He was bigger than life and so much fun to be around. I am one of the two people,Julia being the other one, who were so gullible that Aubrey could lead us down some wild and twisting paths!! He roared into my life on a big loud motorcycle all dressed in leather and I didn’t quite know what to make of him!! It has been over 50 years now and he still roared into my life with his love for family and friends and kindness to all! He was an amazing man and he will be missed so much by those of us who were lucky enough to love him and be loved by him!!
My sincere condolences and prayers are with the family 🙏
Intelligent, confident, sturdy, strong willed, consistent…my first impressions of Aubrey, my co-worker and boss. Storyteller, comedian, instant sharp wit, supportive, loving, caring, comforting, and that laugh…my lasting impressions of my awesome friend. I will miss you Aubrey, but look forward to seeing you again. Keep the shiny parts up and ride on my friend.
I had the pleasure of knowing Aubrey through his Sister Pat who was my best friend in college and remained friends through the years. Aubrey alway had a happy smile and I remembered his zest for life.
That smile in that picture is just how I remember him. I wish we’d been able to see him more before his passing. Our thoughts and love are with you all.
May our friendship never end
Im greatful to say he was a part of my life
I had the pleasure of knowing and working with Aubrey for a number of years early in my career. He was supportive in many ways and was always willing to encourage and provide guidance when needed. He will be missed by everyone that knew him. Prayers for the Family.
Keep riding buddy…all beautiful sunny days now…
My sincere condolences and prayers are with his family. I had a great opportunity to meet him at work where we always count of his support and knowledge 🙏🏼
Aubrey combined tough love, humor and intelligence to impact everyone around him, myself included. I was so honored to have been one of the Teves originals by his side. Godspeed, Aubrey.
Sending healing love and prayers!
Julia and family – May you be filled with GOD’s LOVE and Comfort. Allow HIM to strengthen you and carry you forward during this difficult season in your lives. Our Heavenly Father has you in the palm of HIS hand. Trust and rejoice in HIM and HIS ways, always. Aubrey James, now you can rest in eternal and everlasting peace.
Julia and family…we will keep you in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. We miss having you as our neighbors!
Son, brother, husband, father, friend — Aubrey did it all with humor and strength. We met in Anthropology class at Western and I’ve had the great good fortune to count Aubrey and Julia as my friends ever since. Thanks, Aubrey, and ride on.
It was a pleasure and a privilege to work with Aubrey for many years. My sincere condolences to the family
I have known Aubrey for a long time. We worked at the Asheville ITT Automotive plant. Super Good Guy😊
Aubrey was not only a wonderful work colleague but also a dear friend and simply put a good person. Loved the beer outings with him and Julia just to chat and find out what’s going on. We will cherish the memories.
I am deeply saddened by the passing of such a wonderful colleague and friend. I feel truly grateful to have known someone so warm-hearted and kind. He was always cheerful, always ready to help, and truly a beautiful soul who brought light to those around him.
My heartfelt condolences go out to his family during this incredibly difficult time. May you find comfort in the many lives he touched and the love he shared so generously. He will be deeply missed and forever remembered.