Obituary of Bryan J. Coyle

Predeceased by his parents, Thomas and Josephine “Peppy”; brothers Kevin and Timothy; father and mother-in law Anthony and Jean Norselli, and nephew Michael Coyle. He is survived by his wife and best friend, Cindy, daughter Lisa (Mike Mastrosimone), and son Andrew. Siblings; Kathleen Rogers, Thomas (Janet) Coyle, Michael Coyle, Lori (Matt) DiRisio; Brothers and sisters in law; Mario (Angela) Norselli, Tony (Lori) Norselli, Michael Norselli, John (Erin) Norselli, Jeanne Marie Sawicki (Chris), Rosemary (Ron) Blohm, and Karen Norselli. Many nieces and nephews, and great nieces and nephews, and his two beloved cats, Roxy and Lily.

Bryan passed in the early morning hours of Monday, May 20th, with his immediate family by his side, after a diagnosis of a very aggressive lung cancer. His diagnosis was a shock for everyone, coming less than two months after his younger brother Tim’s passing from cancer. He fought back with everything that was available to him, and approached his illness like he did any other life task; he (and his family) weighed his options, strategized the best plan possible, and enacted it. The treatments bought him enough time to get his things in order. His main goal, as always, was making sure his family was taken care of before he left this earth.

Bryan was one of 7 siblings, raised on the northeast side of city, bordering Irondequoit. He attended St. Andrew’s Catholic School, and graduated from Edison Technical High School. He was proud of the fact that he “lived within a 5 mile radius of the home he grew up in” for all of his life. He loved the area, settling in East Irondequoit with his wife Cindy, and children Lisa and Andrew.

Bryan and Cindy started dating when they were teenagers, and married in 1984. They were each other’s best friend, and you could find them together most of the time. After he retired, they were inseparable, just enjoying the simple pleasures of life; a sunny day puttering around the house, a backyard fire, watching Jeopardy together, shopping, or a long scenic drive (ending up at a casino, which they both loved). They celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary just a month ago.

He spent the majority of his adult working life at Eastman Kodak, and then (after his division was sold), Harris Corp, which he retired from at the age of 62. He worked in Logistics, coordinating and planning shipments of goods and equipment, to/from vendors and customers, a skill he developed at his first job at Rubens-Royal Uniform Company, located in that same 5-mile radius that he often referred to. He was hard-working, honest, and had the utmost integrity, which overflowed into every part of his life, he and Cindy ensuring that these same traits were instilled in their children as they grew.

Bryan was a devoted husband, father, and brother, and his main concern was always providing for his family. He was enterprising, and knew how to make extra money. For decades, he was a familiar face at yard and estate sales, often with Cindy and the kids in tow. Initially he ventured into restoring and reselling antique wood furniture. Later in the game, he surgically struck for valuable treasures often overlooked by others; crystal door knobs and old wood doors; anything that would give him a bigger bang for the buck. One of his most lucrative ventures was restoring retro metal/vinyl tables, chairs, and kitchen stools. He often marveled at how little time and effort he had to invest to make them shine and re-sell them. He always said a little elbow grease (and Scrubbing Bubbles) was all it took. He took pride in his workmanship and was so savvy at making the most out of any opportunity to make some cash. He’d sell his wares on eBay, or often throw together an impromptu garage sale, piggybacking off of other yard sales in the neighborhood. Bryan’s thinking was, why pay for an ad when someone else can do it for you? In addition to knowing how to make money, he knew how to manage a budget. He was a financial wizard and knew how to stretch his family's money. He wouldn’t make a purchase until he had researched and vetted that he was getting the best deal out there. Those close to him looked to him for his practical, sound advice when making financial decisions. In the year before his brother died, you could find Bryan at Tim’s house almost daily, taking care of Tim’s house and yard with the same loving care he gave his own. He was loyal and dedicated, and took such good care of his little brother, and was devastated when he passed.

Bryan found gratification in what others might find tedious; mowing his lawn, shoveling his driveway, and puttering around his garden, testing different flowers to determine which ones were “deer-proof”. There was always a puzzle in progress on the dining room table to chip away at. He was a skilled card player, enjoying euchre with his siblings, and poker with his in-laws, talking trash all along the way, (another skill he learned as a middle child in a large family). He was sarcastic, with a fairly dark sense of humor. He loved to laugh and tease, and took pleasure in pranks, especially scaring others. He started young, scaring his younger siblings when they were little, then honed his skill on his own children, and more recently in the wake of an empty nest, his two cats. Bryan was a master scorcher.

Bryan had a passion and love of music that was unparalleled, and started from an early age. His musical taste was varied, but he especially loved progressive rock music. His staples were bands like (old) Genesis, King Crimson, Steve Hackett, Pearl Jam, 10,000 Maniacs, and Natalie Merchant. He appreciated the expertise of the musicians, and could recite the name of the members in each band, and what instruments they played. When a band broke up, he’d follow his favorite band members into their new ventures, just broadening his vast knowledge, which was so deep. He could rattle off information about music in the same fashion that a sports fan would relay stats about their favorite sports team.

Bryan was just a jeans and flannel guy, but confident and self-assured, and had the ability to command a room with his presence. He loved conversation, and had a knack for meeting people where they were at. He would go out of his way to educate himself on subjects others enjoyed, even though he personally may not enjoy the same thing; He was very good at finding common ground, and building on that to forge deeper relationships with those he loved. He was intelligent, thoughtful, helpful and dependable. A man of his word. He is already so missed, but will be remembered for his wonderful qualities, and all the joy he brought to all our lives.

Tell Tim we said hi.

 Friends are invited to meet the family Wednesday, May 29, 10:00 am at St. Kateri At Christ The King Church for his funeral mass. Interment Holy Sepulchre Cemetery