Longtime labor leader Danny Coyle dies in Carson City
By Andrew Barbano
Longtime Nevada labor leader Danny Coyle died of cancer in Carson City early Saturday morning, July 17. He was 74 years old.
At the time of his death, he was president of the retiree chapter of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 4041/AFL-CIO, an organization he founded. He was concurrently legislative vice-chair of the Nevada Alliance for Retired Americans. He had also served as president of AFSCME Local 4041/AFL-CIO.
He worked for the state of Nevada for more than 31 years, retiring as a senior right-of-way agent for the Nevada Dept. of Transportation in 1995.
Danny Nicholas Coyle was born in Butte, Mont., on May 10, 1936, to Lucille Jacobsen Coyle and Walter Edward "Cubs" Coyle, former district attorney of Silverbow County, Mont.
He attended Butte High School and on Jan. 31, 1955, enlisted in the U.S. Army where he earned a military GED. He married the former Verna Mathisen in Butte, Mont., on June 25, 1955. He served as an army intelligence officer at Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indianapolis and in Nancy, France. After military service, he attended Evangel College in Springfield, Mo., and the University of Montana in Missoula.
He worked for the Federal Bureau of Public Roads in Yellowstone National Park in 1961 and moved to Elko, Nev., in 1962. He joined the Nevada Dept. of Transportation in 1963.
After retirement from NDOT in 1995, he volunteered as an organized labor lobbyist before the Nevada State Legislature. He was a member of Chief Truckee Chapter of E Clampus Vitus and served as president of the Carson City Sundowner Sertoma Club.
He was a senior member and chaired the professional development committee of the National Right of Way Association. He was Nevada North District Deputy of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and served as the organization's president in 1983-84. He was also a member of the Nevada Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie 1006.
Earlier this year, Sen. Mark Amodei, R-Carson City, and Assemblymember Bonnie Parnell, D-Carson City, presented him with a legislative proclamation in honor of his long record of community service. The predecessor of Local 4041, the State of Nevada Employees Assn., honored him with the Jerry Cianci Award for his lifetime contribution to the organization.
He was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his former wife, Verna Hardgrave of Winnemucca, Nev.; sisters, Anna Lisa Whately (Jim), of Charleston, N.C., and Colleen Genero of Boise, Idaho.; sons, Dennis (Sandy) of Carson City and Danny (Denise) of Dayton, and a daughter, Hylari Roth (Al) of Dayton; numerous nieces and nephews; 10 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. A tenth great-grandchild is expected soon.
Arrangements are being handled by Fitzhenry's, 3945 Fairview Dr. in Carson City, where a memorial service will be held on Wednesday, July 21, at 2:00 p.m. Interment with family members only will follow at Lone Mountain Cemetery in Carson City.
A reception will be held after the memorial service at the Elks Carson City Lodge No. 2177 at 515 N. Nevada Street, two blocks west of the Carson Nugget.
Donations in lieu of flowers may be given in Danny Coyle's name to the Rypien Foundation at markrypienfoundation.org. A two-time super bowl champion with the Washington Redskins, Rypien is a golf buddy of the Coyles. His charity supports children with cancer and their families. The Super Bowl XXVI MVP lost his three year-old son, Andrew, to cancer.
"We are sure that Dad would have liked this," Dennis Coyle said.
Remembrances may be sent to NevadaLabor.com, P.O. Box 10034, Reno, NV 89510. They will be permanently posted at the website along with photos of his life and achievements. Material may be e-mailed to barbano@frontpage.reno.nv.us.
For more information, contact Dennis Coyle at (775) 721-6491.
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