Colonel John Charles Coyne passed away in his home on Dec. 13, 2005. Born Nov. 8, 1919, in Marshall, Texas, he was the oldest of five children. After earning a B.S. and M.S. in Civil Engineering and an ROTC commission as a 2nd Lieutenant, he reported to active duty shortly after Pearl Harbor and fought in the South Pacific during World War II. He retired a Colonel from the U.S. Army after 30 years of service to his country.

After a year of searching for the perfect place to live, he and his wife Bette found Coupeville in 1972. John quickly became an active member of the Coupeville community. Not only was he the Port of Coupeville’s part-time consultant for 29 years, but he also helped the Coupeville Wharf be transformed from a warehouse into a thriving commercial establishment and an asset to the town of Coupeville. He was also involved with the Island County Economic Development Council. John also created Coyne Associates as a consulting firm to find solutions to business and engineering problems.

John seized life with enthusiasm and energy. He was a Renaissance man with interests that ranged from the dry side of engineering to the more creative aspects of oil painting and pottery. He enriched the lives of those around him as those around him enriched his.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Bette Mason Coyne, of Aurura, Utah, his parents, and his brother, Phillip. John is survived by his two daughters, Carolyn Rousseau of Grants Pass, Oregon, and Jaquelyn Champagne and husband Al Champagne of Houston, Texas, Long Bechard, who was like a daughter to him, his three granddaughters, Holley Luban of California and Kristen and Katie Champagne of Texas, his brother Lynn Coyne of Louisiana, and his sisters Florence McDonald of California and Lina Kate Cavell of Louisiana.

Interment will occur at a later date at Sunnyside Cemetery with family and friends.