Brendan Coyne, Sr. Obituary

Brendan Oliver Coyne, Sr. of Cobb, CA, was called home to his heavenly Father on Saturday, September 16, 2023, with brethren Firefighters and First Responders at his side. He was 87. Born on September 10, 1936, in Philadelphia, PA, he was the youngest child of the late Michael and Mary Coyne from Sheeauns and Ballynew, respectively, in Co. Galway, Ireland.

Brendan was raised in Andalusia, located in Bensalem Township, PA, on the historic grounds of the ancestral home of the Biddle family estate, where his father was employed as the primary groundskeeper. As a young boy, he developed a passion for baseball, rooting for the Athletics (A's), who, at the time, called Philadelphia home. After graduating from North Catholic High School in 1954, Brendan joined the United States Marine Corps, conducting his basic training at Parris Island, SC.

On January 16, 1960, he married his bride, Shirley Ann Cooper, at Langley Air Force Base, VA. They relocated to Shirley's hometown, Vallejo, CA, where Brendan joined the Benicia Fire Department (BFD). Here, Brendan successfully led an effort to unionize the BFD and served as the President of Local 1610 for five years, which preceded Local 1186.

By 1974, Brendan and Shirley had three sons, all under the age of seven. In that year, Brendan experienced a severe stroke that caused paralysis on his right side of the body. At the age of 37, he was forced to retire and would never work professionally again.

A defiant and resilient Brendan emerged from that stroke, and in January 1975, Brendan and Shirley added a fourth child to the family, their daughter. Shirley returned to work in 1977 as the family's primary provider, and Brendan was Mr. Mom, overseeing most domestic responsibilities for the family. He was a stay-at-home dad before it was cool. Brendan was fully present in his children's lives, from greeting them when they came home from school, attending their many extracurricular events, and dispensing fatherly advice at the opportune time, including, "Be home before your mother gets home."; "That's what I was trying to tell you, but you don't liiiiiiiisten!"; and "Be good!".

While in Vallejo, Brendan was a member of the Improved Order of Red Men, the Lions Club, and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and remained an active Young Men's Institute member after his stroke. In 2003, Brendan and Shirley moved from Vallejo to live full-time at their favorite vacation place, Cobb, CA. Here, they engaged a robust network of retirees, many of whom they knew from years of spending summer family vacations together while raising their kids.

Tragedy struck again in 2015, losing their home to the Valley Fire and narrowly avoiding their untimely demise. Yet again, Brendan demonstrated his defiance and resilience, refusing to be displaced. In short order, Brendan and Shirley re-established themselves on Cobb Mountain in a beautiful area untouched by fire, living here until his passing.

Brendan was a quintessential A's fan and never missed an opportunity to listen to them play on the radio or watch the A's on TV. He instilled this passion for the A's in his three sons, and if he had one flaw, it was letting his daughter slip into rooting for and becoming a Giants fan (she probably is the smartest of his kids).

Brendan was predeceased by his Father, Michael Halloran Coyne, who died December 16, 1962, and Mother, Mary (Reedy) Coyne, who died January 1, 1963; brother, Michael Desmond Coyne, who died on November 28, 1998; and sister, Maureen Veronica Coyne, who died on March 6, 2010.

He is survived by his wife, Shirley, of 63 years of marriage; children, Brendan (Cindy Bredek), Michael (Faith Berardi), Patrick (Shelly Close), and Cathleen (Patrick) McCarthy; seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; his twin sister Anderina and older brother Enda (Margaret M. DeLuca).

Visitation will be held from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., with a vigil prayer starting at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, September 27th, at Colonial Chapels, 1000 Redwood Street, Vallejo, CA. Brendan's Funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, September 28th, at St. Vincent Ferrer Church, 925 Sacramento Street, Vallejo, CA.

Condolences may be sent care of Colonial Chapel, or a memorial donation may be made to Families for Early Autism Treatment (FEAT). See the link for details https://feat.org/feat/donations/.