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With the Tragic Passing of James "Tony" Coyle, We've Lost An Absolute Gem of a Human Being

3/9/2023

7 Comments

 
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The Mill Valley Chamber's collective hearts are as heavy as they can be this week with the tragic loss of James "Tony" Coyle, a longtime Chamber member and Ambassador whose words brought laughter and whose deeds directly impacted the lives of those around him for the better.

Tony has left us at 83 years old.

We'll leave it to some of his Chamber colleagues to express their thoughts and condolences.

But few are more equipped to share their love and loss of Tony than our Lead Ambassador, Phil Garrett. "He was one of the kindest, gentlest, funny and honest people I ever met, all wrapped up in that beautiful accent. He and I walked most days during the worst of Covid and saved each other’s sanity. Hard to realize an Englishman could love an Irishman! He sure will be missed.  He was a treasure of old stories and tales, songs and poetry. The best of friends."

Garrett further formalized his esteem for Tony in the 2020 Enjoy Mill Valley Guide, for which Tony was selected in "Capsules of Joy" as one of the community members who infuse our community with joy, simply by being themselves. Here's what Phil wrote at that time:

​Tony is one of the most likeable, kind, knowledgeable and funny men I’ve ever met. I can’t imagine ever being annoyed with him, but he’d quickly make you forget whatever incurred the annoyance with that Irish smile and a wink! Once an outstanding rugby player, Tony built a successful career as a contractor. He’s now a seemingly ubiquitous volunteer, delivering groceries for a lady in her 90's and regularly checking in on people living alone. Life is fuller for his friendship.  –Phil Garratt, fellow omnipresent volunteer.
"His beautiful big eyes always had a twinkle," says Paula Reynolds, the Chamber's director of operations. We were all blessed to have him in our lives." 

"He will be remembered in our hearts and laughs," says Compass real estate agent Michelle Fallone Nelson.

We'll be having a more formal tribute to Tony at our April 18th EMV After Hours event at WrapManager/Assembly at ​319 Miller Ave., 5:30-7pm.
7 Comments
Jonathan Reynolds link
3/10/2023 07:19:11 am

Thank you Tony for all of the wonderful memories, countless moments of camaraderie, and endlessly lively conversations. Your loving light with be dearly missed... you touched us all for the better.

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richard habib link
3/10/2023 09:09:07 am

Tony was all that was said above.
Always had a warm smile gentle laugh and friendly eyes.
I lived near Tony and he would always see me running in our hood and give a shout out.




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Michael Vogel
3/10/2023 09:23:44 am

Tony and I shared many a volunteer assignment & I loved listening to his lyrical accent. I got to meet his brother when he was over in the states visiting. We’d run into each other on Park walks & at the Community Center pool facility. He had that Irish gift of gab. A delight when we’d meet. A good friend & companion to Phil Brit. He will be missed by myself & the Community. RIP Tony. My hat’s off to u & I’m so glad u were in our lives.🙏

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Daniel Patrick
3/10/2023 10:15:19 am

Tony came to one of our humor Salons at O'Hanlon and recited a poem that he had said 100's of times. He forgot the ending and always wanted to come back and say it once again. It was a running joke between the 2 of us. At one of the chamber mixers, he won an evening at a hotel and I would tease him about which one of his girlfriends he was going to take . Bless you Tony, you were a character, one of a kind.

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Debra Schwartz
3/10/2023 11:46:38 am

Tony was the best! He was interesting and interested in so much. We both attended classes at Collage of Marin as late life students. We worked out together at the Mill Valley Community center. When I transferred to UC Berkeley he was so excited for me. Regretful that he hadn't completed his collage experienced he decided he'd give it a try and was accepted to UCB in his 70s. That's a lot of pressure to put on yourself late in life but he was stellar. And the other students loved him. Tony was a spirited and delightful man.Thanks for publicly honoring him. Go Bears Tony! And rest in peace. You will be missed but not forgotten.

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Karen Laffey
3/11/2023 12:33:45 am

Tony and I met 25+ years ago as Mill Valley Film Festival volunteers. As fellow Irishmen we connected in so many ways and I expected our friendship to last forever. Now I’ll have to go it alone. This St. Patrick’s Day 2023 i’d dedicated to you my dear friend. God Bless You Tony🍀

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Brian Kelly
3/14/2023 02:32:19 am

I am married to a cousin of Tony’s and was a close friend of Tonys deceased younger brother Hugh . I met Tony a couple of times . He was a great “ Irish “ character. In fact just like his brother Hugh. Indeed the whole extended family are amazing .
I was very touched by the impact Tony made in his chosen home , San Fran .
May he rest in peace .

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Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center
85 Throckmorton Avenue
Mill Valley, CA 94941
(415) 388-9700