Christopher Coyle

Christopher John Coyle was born on March 5th, 1956, at Saint Clare's Hospital in Schenectady, NY. He was the third of four children, and second son, of John and Anne (Dardanelli) Coyle.

He began his scholastic career at Saint Luke's School in Schenectady. He then moved with his family to Poughkeepsie, where he attended St. Martin De Porres Elementary School. Upon moving back to the Schenectady area, he attended Van Corlaer Junior High School, eventually graduating from Mont Pleasant High School in 1974. He went on to obtain his Associate in Applied Science – Electrical Technology Degree at Schenectady County Community College.

His working career included several years as a welder for Consolidated Diesel and Electric Company (ConDEC) and then for General Electric. Chris then moved on to Hewlett-Packard and later Philips, where he spent many years as a Field Service Engineer whose responsibilities included installing, calibrating, servicing, and repairing extremely specialized hospital patient monitoring equipment in a number of facilities in upstate New York and Vermont. Following this challenging and fulfilling vocation, he had been happily retired since 2017.

As fate would have it, Chris met a wonderful woman while celebrating the incoming 2010 New Year at the Parting Glass in Saratoga Springs. Somehow, in that overcrowded, loud and boisterous environment, she emerged from the cacophony and saw the man she would eventually marry. Everything around them seemed to come to a standstill as their eyes met. Realization dawned that they were meant to be together: then, now, and for eternity.

Liz and Chris were married on September 9th, 2016. They found the house of their dreams in the rural north country town of Schuyler Falls in Clinton County, NY, surrounded by mountains, forests, rivers and streams, and green fields that stretched far and wide. It was in this bucolic setting that they brought their beautiful son Jack into their shared life.

Chris's love for and devotion to Liz and Jack was unparalleled and boundless. They gave him joy beyond measure. The three were nearly inseparable, enjoying each other's company while being engaged in all sorts of activities. For example, they spent a lot of time exploring the wonders of nature. Simply walking out their front door afforded the opportunity to stroll on their own property, which included a system of trails that Chris blazed himself through several acres of woods.

Chris was a remarkable man. You won't meet many who are more intelligent. He could utter a simple sentence, and his keen intellect was instantly detected by anyone within earshot. Credit must be given to his clear and commanding voice: when Chris spoke, it was with such confidence and conviction that it was difficult not to pay attention.

He, of course, had many other interests, although they paled in comparison to the attention he gave to Liz and Jack. Two that come immediately to mind are his love of motorcycles and his penchant for building computers. His aptitude for the latter allowed him to put together all manner of desktops, laptops, and tablets that were at the top of their class in performance capability. The natural progression of this "hobby" was that when his current crop of electronic gadgetry reached their limit of improvements, he would start over with fresh, new platforms with which he would again perform his wizardry. It is appropriate now to mention one of his many attributes: generosity. Many a family member and friend were beneficiaries of his "outdated" hand-me-downs, every one of which still qualified as being top shelf.

And now we come to his love of motorcycles. He's been riding on two wheels for almost as long as he could walk. At last count, he was the proud owner of no less than seven bikes of all shapes and sizes. He even had a small dirt bike for Jack's future use when he became old enough to ride. Teaching Jack how to properly and safely control a bike was a dream of Chris's. And it should come as no surprise to anyone who knew Chris that every motorcycle in his stable was meticulously maintained.

His favorite pastime, with the obvious exception of spending time with his family, was hopping on one of his dirt bikes and hitting the woods and trails for some intense enduro rides. The more difficult the terrain, the more he enjoyed it. This is yet another example of how he saw a challenge and set out to master it.

There are far too few of Chris's caliber who come along to grace the world with the arsenal of exceptional qualities that he possessed. He left a positive mark with nearly everyone who had the good fortune to know him. He will be dearly missed by so many.

Chris is survived by his loving wife Elizabeth (Hoffman) Coyle and his young son John Edward (Jack) Coyle; and his two sisters: Donna Smith (Frank) and Kathleen Coyle Curtis (Jim). He was predeceased by his parents and his brother Michael. He was extremely close to his mother- and father-in-law, Ed and Carolyn Hoffman, who had been an important and integral part in his life, and will continue to be in Liz and Jack's. He also leaves behind his brother-in-law Matt (Yini), sister-in-law Megan, and several nieces and nephews.

In the Spring of 2026, a Celebration of Life will be held to honor Chris. Details to follow.

In lieu of flowers and tree planting, Chris's family requests that everyone share anecdotes, memories, thoughts, or stories of Chris and his life, which will all be included in a book specially prepared for his son Jack.

Arrangements are in the care of the Hamilton Funeral Home, 294 Mannix Road, Peru, 518-643-9055.