John F. Coyle
Resident of Palo Alto
John “Jack” Coyle, a longtime resident of Palo Alto, and parishioner of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, passed away in his home on January 12, 2020. Jack was born August 12, 1927 in Wilkes-Barre, PA. He was the only son of Florence Magdalene Toole and Leo Charles Coyle. His summer days were spent at Georgetown Settlement Camp in the Poconos, where some of his fondest memories were made while lifeguarding and recreating with his cousins and extended family. He attended Seaton Hall Prep School and Seaton Hall University in South Orange, NJ.
Jack had an impeccable work ethic instilled from a young age. He enlisted in the Army and worked his way to a Private First Class and additionally, served in the Air Corps Enlisted Reserve from October 9, 1944 to May 26, 1945. After being discharged from the military he began his career in Buffalo, New York. He relocated to the Bay Area and in 1964 he commenced what would become a successful fifty-year career with New York Life Insurance Co where he became a lifetime member of the prestigious Million Dollar Round Table.
Jack was an avid supporter of Stanford University football and basketball, as well as a big 49er fan. He loved spending time at his Tahoe home in Rubicon Bay and taking day trips on his boat to Emerald Bay. Nothing put a bigger smile on his face than listening to big band and swing music (especially Miller, Goodman, Dorsey, et al). Family was everything to Jack, and he came to most family events with old photographs and information about the family tree. He deeply enriched family ties and created cherished memories by sponsoring multiple family reunions. His family will remain forever grateful for his generosity and infinite vision. He lived a righteous life engendering good will toward all.
Jack is survived by second cousins Jean, Anne and Robert Shannon, Susan, Kathy (David) and Connie (Pedersen) Grier, Lynda (Elsea), Michael, Peggy (Lepiane) and Tricia Paxon, Joan (Blynn), Jeffrey and Richard La Fleur, Leo Jr., John and Marie Shannon; he is preceded by the rock of his life, his mother Florence, second cousins Pat and Tom Shannon, Gail Schwarmann, and De Ann Rush.
Visitation will take place in the large chapel at Alta Mesa Memorial Park (695 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, California) on Tuesday, January 28, 2020 from 5PM- 7PM with the rosary to start at 7PM.
A funeral mass will be held at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Palo Alto on January 29, 2020 at 10 AM with interment to immediately follow at Alta Mesa Memorial Park.