THE VISION ISSUE - City of Shaker Heights

Laura Coiley Dietrich with, from left, Ellis
Coiley, III, Dean Dietrich, Sr., Dean Dietrich,
Jr., and Marlene Dietrich. PHOTO BY
ALEJANDRO RIVERA.
Kim in the marching band,” says Jennifer,
recalling Saturdays in fall.
Jennifer and Laura attended college
close to home and, except for a brief
period when Laura lived in Dayton,
have been in Shaker ever since.
“Our parents instilled a real pride
for the City at a young age. We felt
like it was an important place to be
and they worked hard to get our family
here because of the schools and the
community,” says Laura. Staying in
Shaker seemed like the natural thing
to do.
Between the two sisters, there are
no fewer than seven Coiley offspring
attending Shaker schools (some even
having the same teachers as their parents),
playing in the same neighborhood,
swimming at Thornton, and
cheering at the Memorial Day parade.
A childhood in Shaker Heights is a gift
that resonates deeply with them.
“I love that the experiences my children
have are much the same as mine
were. I love that they like to explore the
neighborhoods and go to the libraries.
While I enjoyed Thornton Park on occasion
as a kid, my children have been
there on regularly since birth, playing
hockey, figure skating and swimming,”
says Jennifer.
For Jennifer, life really has come full
circle, both by accident and design.
Her daughters are also dancers at The
Dance Studio, which is run by two
women with whom a young Jennifer
danced at Bonnie Pekarek’s dance studio.
To this day, the Coiley sisters and
their children are easily identified by
their loud cheers at nearly every football
game. “We are the band groupies,”
laughs Jennifer. While their sister Kim
(SHHS ’92) has long since retired her
band instrument, Jennifer’s son plays
the trumpet in the band and her other
three children, as well as Laura’s,
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