Page 8B The Castlegar Sun Wednesday, May 10, 1995 A good man to have in one’s corner John Coyle was a man known for his integrity and willingness to stand by his beliefs “And the King shall answer and say unto thee: ‘In as much as ye have done it to the least of these my bretherih, ye have done it unto me” Matthew 25:40 Dedicated to the memory of John Coyle: Born July 24, 1938 died April 29, 1995. Castlegar dis- lost cial citizen and a . a. unique individu- al last week with the passing of John Coyle of Robson. John, an electrician by trade, was born in Airdri¢, Scotland and the family moved to Glen Mavis when John was two years old—the place he always consid- ered his first home. He came to Canada in 1961, married Chris McIntosh in Prince Rupert in 1963, worked widely in the construction trades and set- tled his family in Robson while he continued to work in construc- tion. He was a member in good Standing of the IBEW at the time of his death. Two years ago I submitted a let- ter to the Kiwanis Citizen of the Year Committee, nominating John as an ideal candidate for the honor. It read in part: ‘Mr. Coyle is a Scottish Laborite and trade union- ist. He can be abrasive, profane, noisy, opinionated and difficult to get along with. However, by the same token, he is totally honest and dedicated, and completely generous in giving of his considerbale talents and energies any OVER MY SHOULDER JOHN CHARTERS therefore, have in one's comer in dif- ficult situations.” The letter theti refers to an ear- lier report detailing some of his activities. These included obtain- ing space in the Old Pioneer Arena from the recreation com- mission for the Alcoholics Anonymous Casalano Club, then begging the materials and build- ing a clubhouse for meetings and a drop-in centre He also worked in the B.C. Society and gave many hours of free electrical work to his neigh- bors, friends and those in need. In 1991 he accepted the presi- dency of the ailing Castlegar and District Heritage Society and inherited with it all the problems that any dedicated masochist could desire. Having already saved the Chapel House on Zuckerberg Island, the Castlegar Rail Station, and established a permanent causeway to the park, the society was negotiating with the CPR to save Castlegar's first Provincial Police Station and jail. However, illness, aging and death “amiong the exhausted exec- utive, and the struggle to over- come bureaucratic indifference and opposition, threatened not only the project but the very exis- tence of the society itself. This situation was raised to a “now-or- never” level when work on the new bridge approaches threatened to destroy the old building. Construction Industry R: H tion Plan and travelled across the province to different construction camps giving lectures and video presentations to the workers on drug and alcohol abuse. ‘He worked as well with the Sol- idarity movement, Tools for Peace, Castlegar food bank, Central American causes, and most recent- ly with the Multiple Sclerosis The iz Pi ooker of activities to secure, stabilize and move the building and carry on negotiations with the contrac- tors, Celgar, the Ministry of Highways, the city and CPR offi- cials were totally intimidating. But with the assistance of Bernie Wearmouth, worker vol- unteers and industry cooperation, and despite John’s full workload, John Coyle the Provincial Police building was safely relocated on its new site on Oct. 29, 1992. It was with the greatest satisfac- tion that he and all those con- cerned witnessed the official opening of the beautifully-restored building by His Honor Lt. Gov. David Lam on May 7, 1994, The same time, John and his executive, after many hours of negotiation, finally persuaded the city of the need for a permanent coordinator for the society's However, shortly afterward he was diagnosed with cancer of the tongue and following a long ~ WAL-MART GARDEN ‘CENTRE NOW OPEN | At our Garden Centre you'll find a great selection of Nursery Stock, Fertilizer, Lawn Mowers, Garden Accessories, B.B.Q.’s, and Patio Furniture, at Everyday low prices. LIVE PLANT GUARANTEE — All live plants purchased at Wal-Mart are guaranteed. If one of them fails to grow, just return it (with your receipt) and we will cheerfully replace it or refund your money. Your Satisfaction Is Guaranteed! series of treatments in Vancou- ver, he returned to Castlegar, much reduced in every way, but with his optimism and sense of humor intact, and still deter- mined to help wherever he could. “He was a man of principle,” said his son Rich admiringly. “And his record for keeping people off the booze was ing.” ~ “Even two months ago,” added his brother-in-law, Bill McIntosh, “he would still answer an AA call and never let on how sick he was.” Marilyn Strong, publisher of The Castlegar Sun, probably came closest to the heart of his devotion to Alcoholics Anony- mous when she noted: “He kept going, and in spite of his pain and despair he never touched a drop. It was a final measure of the integrity of the man.” His last days in the Castlegar Hospital were mercifully brief as his family, close friends and associates kept a round-the-clock vigil at his bedside until the end. All had the highest praise for the hospital staff, particularly his wife, Christine. “They were marvellous,” she said: The stories about John Coyle are without number. “He lived his life on his own terms,” said one admirer, “and he wasn't leaving until he was ready.” “I can just imagine him arriv- ing at the Pearly Gates,” said another, “and if St. Peter denied him entrance, sitting himself down and arguing until he did He never gave up.” “There'll be no problem in that regard,” added a third confi- dently, “for he was a compas- sionate man, ever concerned for ‘the least of these my brethem’.” Still another friend told of how, when John realized that he would Complete Body & Paint Facilities Auto Glass Replacement Towing...» <@ 2316 - 6th Ave., Castiegar ‘i 365-5114 never return to work, he applied for a union disability pension. He learned that no one, appar- ently, had ever received one and immediately pressed home a furi- ous attack on principle, and received the elusive pension just before his death. “It won’t do him any good now,” Christine said, “but a precedent has been set fr those coming after.” On Tuesday morning some 60 or 70 people, family and friends, ignored the pelting rain and gath- ered on Zuckerberg Island to do him honor. Led by Bud Godderis, they joined in a simple service which opened with his favorite song, “Flower of Scotland”, followed by a reading of the poem, “There is No Death”, selected scripture and Big Book readings, and a eulegy which described him as “having no adherence to any particular church but a man nonetheless with a deep spirituality.” The service ended with the Scottish hymn “. i Grace”, beautifully sung by his niece Alana DeGuzman. He loved his adopted country ‘but like many another;romantic Celt, his heart was in his home- land. Therefore his ashes, at his request, will be retumed to Glen Mavis and scattered in the woods he knew as a child. In his untimely death he joins a growing company of other Castlegar and District Heritage Society volunteers and benefac- tors, all relative newcomers to the community—the late Gordie Hill, Ralph Desaulniers, Nels Latta, Ray Gattinger and Gil Zucker- berg—all of who have given gen- erously of their time and skills to our heritage, their living monu- ment in the community. John is survived by his wife, Christine (Teena); his son Richard, daughter Michelle; and his-dog-Misty; three brothers, Jim, Thomas and Alex Coyle of Scot- land; four sisters, Mae, Greta, Helen and Jean of Scotland. I closed my letter to the Kiwa- nis with the comment: “I believe that Mr. Coyle wasthat rare human being, a total idealist, though I strongly suspect he would punch anyone in the mouth who accused him of it.” BCAA MEMBER-EXCLUSIVE HOSTED TOURS QUALITY*CONVENIENT+PRE-PLANNED ALL TOURS INCLUDE: Round trip airfare from Vancouver, first-class accommodation, sightseeing, and more! OR I E N T batons Wednesday, May 10, 1995 OOP RAL EE MLL EE NERF CPE AMIE OTT * The Castlegar Sun Page 9B Canadian Tire. Tyanna Nichvalodoft of Ladybird Construction points out a unique arched truss to fellow employee Eric Fleming. The two are working on the construction of dentist Or. Brian Gorman's new building on south Columbia Avenue beside the new SUN STAFF PHOTO /Marilyn Strong HEPATITIS B Free vaccine for those at risk‘ SUN STAFF The Central Kootenay Health , Unit is making the Hepatitis B vaccine available free of charge to area residents who are at increased risk for getting the disease because of their lifestyle “People who may have this vaccine include IV drug abusers, people with multiple sexual part- ners—straight or gay—those with close household contacts with an infected person, and infants of an infected mother,” Marcella Mugford, assistant administrator for public health nursing at the health unit, said in a prepared release. “Because of limited resburces, these are the only people eligible for free vaccine.” She said the vaccine is avail- able through the local health unit Mugford also noted that Hep- atitis B infections are becoming more common in B.C. “This disease is caused by a virus that normally attacks the liver. 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