By Patricia Hudson –
Thomas and Kari Coffman are longtime residents of the Fairfield community. Kari grew up in the Ponderosa neighborhood, in Spring, graduating from Westfield High School. Thomas moved from the Hobby Airport area in the 7th grade, and graduated from Jersey Village High School. “Kari was the better student. She is better at everything,” quips Thomas. “We moved out to Fairfield over 20 years ago to raise Travis, our son, in a better community.”
Kari and Thomas have enjoyed interesting life careers. “I was a sports nutrition representative for a bodybuilding company. I had done photography in high school and always had a passion for it. I was interested in bodybuilding and photographed a lot of bodybuilders as a part-time photographer. My son got into photography in high school; I helped him get business and did the editing. He decided to move to Colorado and I got laid off my job; I took over. Now, here we are, doing it full time for 10 years plus, and blessed by this community,” comments Thomas gratefully.
Coffman Photography counts senior photo shoots as a major portion of its business, but after senior photo rush ends, Coffman is known to head west to Utah or Arizona to shoot landscape photography.
Likely the most intriguing aspect of his work, Thomas is totally in his element shooting concert venues at The House of Blues, Rise Rooftop, and Warehouse Live. Celebrity subjects include Alice Cooper, Kiss, Slash from Guns N’ Roses, Great White, Cheap Trick, ZZ Top, Foreigner, and Whitesnake. “I love shooting the concerts! That is like AWESOME,” exclaims Coffman. “It would probably surprise most people to know that Alice Cooper is actually a Christian, doesn’t drink, and is an avid golfer; he’s nothing like you would think.”
Kari is a flight attendant with Delta Airlines. After 32 years, she says that her job has actually gotten easier. “When I first started, people could smoke in the back section and we served hot meals on most flights, even short ones. Now, because of COVID, we wear masks and gloves and just pass out a baggie with a water and snacks. For the most part, everyone abides by the regulations. Of course, you always have some on every flight that need a gentle reminder. I’ve had hundreds of celebrities on board, from Jimmy Carter to Hulk Hogan, Phyllis Diller to Paula Abdul. One of my memorable experiences was with a gentleman who was wearing a Pearl Harbor Survivor hat. I asked his daughter with whom he was traveling, his name, and if I could make an announcement when we landed. Just before we parked at the gate, I announced we had a VIP on board, his name and that he had served his country for us during Pearl Harbor; I asked everyone to remain seated to allow him to deplane first. Everyone did stay seated and a loud applause erupted. As he got to the front of the cabin, he turned and saluted everyone. His daughter gave me a giant hug as she deplaned,” recalls the flight attendant fondly. “Kari works domestic flights, flying into Atlanta Monday through Thursday,” relates Thomas. “On the weekends, Kari helps me with photography. She knows what the girls like, checks for out of place hair and clothing, and is especially good with poses.”
The Coffmans have one son, 28-year-old Travis. “He was in the first graduating class of Cypress Ranch, (2009). Travis started out at Lone Star, but then he headed out to California, and works for UPS; he just loves it. He lives in Mission Viejo, just five minutes from the beach. He still enjoys photography and skateboarding,” comments Thomas.
“Kari and Thomas are definitely the most beautiful and dynamic couple that I’ve ever met. Ever since I was young, I knew that they would be in my life forever. When I lost my father at a young age, I asked them to be my godparents,” shares Brittanie Hammer.
“Our beautiful goddaughter graduated from Cypress Woods High School in 2010. It was always her dream to go to Disney World with her father; I ended up taking her,” recalls Coffman. “Thomas is so full of that rock star energy; it’s crazy,” adds Brittanie. Her desire to become a singer was so strong that Brittanie started, but didn’t finish college. After signing with an entertainment company, Brittanie followed her dream with singing gigs in such exotic locations as Vietnam, South Korea, Qatar, Malaysia, and Dubai. “Maldives was the best one.” Brittanie auditioned in Nashville for the Navy Fleet Band. “It’s pretty grueling, but I won the audition and am in training at the Virginia Naval Music Academy.”
Reflecting on the past 20 years, Kari comments, “We’ve made a ton of friends living in our close-knit community and with our photography. We enjoyed the sports program when Travis was growing up and love seeing the kids on our block go from 5-year-olds to college graduates.” Thomas adds “We are blessed to say that the pandemic has not really impacted us. We’ve worn masks and have a long lens. One thing that we have learned is that life is short and to make the most of everyday. God is great!”
