Walter James Coyle, called Wally by nearly everyone who knew him, died on the morning of October 3, 2023, at the age of 85, in the town of Cedar Falls, where he had lived for most of his life. His wife and both of his daughters were with him.
He was born on July 9, 1938, in Rockford, Illinois, the middle child of five. After four years in the Navy he came home, earned his teaching degree, and stood in front of a high school history class for thirty-two years. Former students still talk about how he could make a dry date feel like a story worth hearing.
Wally kept a workshop in the garage and a garden out back, and he was never happier than when he had sawdust on his hands or dirt under his nails. He married Helen in 1961, and the two of them spent sixty-two years building a quiet, steady life: Friday fish fries, road trips with no fixed plan, and a porch light he always left on for whoever might stop by.
He is survived by his wife, Helen, his daughters Karen and Diane, four grandchildren, and his younger brother, Raymond Coyle of Peoria. A service will be held at First Presbyterian Church on Saturday, October 14, at 10 a.m., with a reception in the church hall to follow.
The family suggests that any gifts in his memory go to the Cedar Falls Public Library, a place where Wally spent countless afternoons and where he believed anyone could learn to love reading.
