Shelter Island Reporter obituary: Michael Coles
Michael Coles, a longtime resident of Shelter Island, and pillar of the community, passed away peacefully at home on Aug. 4, 2025, surrounded by loved ones.
Born in England on April 14, 1932, Michael joined the Royal Navy at age 18, piloting single-engine fighter-bombers from an aircraft carrier during the Korean War and later training the next generation of fighter pilots.
In 1959, he married Joan Cullen Collins in Cyprus, where he was stationed at the time. He then left the Royal Navy and moved to the United States to attend Harvard Business School. Upon earning his MBA in 1961, Michael joined Goldman Sachs in New York as an investment banker. Over the next 25 years, he played an instrumental role in building the firm’s international presence, including by opening Goldman’s first overseas office in London.
After retiring from Goldman Sachs in 1987, Michael, who did not have an undergraduate degree, enrolled as a graduate student at Columbia University, where he earned a Master’s degree in history. A prolific writer, Michael published a number of scholarly articles on naval history. He also wrote two well-received memoirs: “A Boyhood in Wartime Britain” and “Lucky, Not Smart,” about his remarkable journey from growing up on a farm in Devon, England to becoming a Wall Street banker.
Michael and Joan began visiting Shelter Island in the early 1960s, and bought their first home here in the mid-1970s. An avid sailor, Michael plied the waters of Gardiners Bay and eastward, often accompanied by a few of his five children and many grandchildren. He continued flying airplanes into his mid-70s, keeping his open cockpit Tiger Moth biplane at Klenawicus International Airport.
Over the decades, Michael was an active member of the Island’s civic life, serving for six years as chair of the board of the Mashomack Preserve, among other leadership roles. His contributions earned him the Lions Club Citizen of the Year award in 2013. He also chaired the board of the Manhattan Theater Club and the Foreign Policy Association in New York.
Above all, Michael adored his family. He is survived by his loving wife, Dr. Edie Landeck; his brother, Tony (Jeannie) Coles; his daughters, Caroline Scudder and Isobel (Struan) Coleman; and his sons, Richard (Kelly) Coles and Douglas (Carol) Coles. He is also survived by 19 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. His daughter, Alison (Matthew) Aldredge passed away in 2015. His beloved first wife, Joan Coles, died in 1999.
Visitation will be held on Monday, Aug. 11, from 5 to 7 p.m. at 28 Tuthill Drive.
A funeral service for Michael will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 12, at Our Lady of the Isle Church on Shelter Island, followed by a reception at Gardiner’s Bay Country Club from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Perlman Music Program at perlmanmusicprogram.org/donation-form, or by mail at 19 West 69th Street, Suite 1101 New York, New York 10023.
