William Joseph Coyne (August 24, 1936 – November 3, 2013) was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania from 1981 to 2003.

Early life and education

Coyne was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1954, and received a B.S. in accounting from Robert Morris College. He served for two years in the United States Army in 1955–1957. He served as a supply sergeant in Korea. After completing his military service, he set up a private accounting firm.

Political career

From 1970 to 1972 he was member of the

Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts. It ...

, and a member of the Pittsburgh City Council from 1974 to 1980.

Congress

Coyne was elected to Congress in 1980, succeeding 24-year incumbent

William S. Moorhead William Singer Moorhead (April 8, 1923 – August 3, 1987) was an American politician serving as a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Moorhead was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, th ...

in a district taking in most of Pittsburgh. He was reelected ten times, never facing serious opposition. He was a longtime member of the United States House Committee on Ways and Means

Retirement and death

In 2002, Coyne's district was combined with the district of

Mike Doyle Michael, Mick or Mike Doyle may refer to: Politics *Michael Doyle (Irish politician), Irish Farmers' Party politician from Wexford, TD from 1922 to 1927 *Michael Doyle, alleged member of the Molly Maguires *Mike Doyle (American politician) (born 1 ...

, a somewhat more moderate Democrat. Although the new district contained more of Coyne's territory than Doyle's, Coyne retired to avoid the possibility of two Democratic incumbents facing each other in the primary elections. Coyne died at the age of 77 on November 3, 2013, two months after falling and sustaining head injuries.

Sources

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External links

Voting record
at the ''Washington Post'' * * *https://web.archive.org/web/19980524001946/http://www.house.gov/coyne/ * {{DEFAULTSORT:Coyne, William J. 1936 births 2013 deaths 20th-century American politicians 21st-century American politicians Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Businesspeople from Pennsylvania Politicians from Pittsburgh Robert Morris University Illinois alumni Military personnel from Pittsburgh United States Army soldiers Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania Pittsburgh City Council members Accidental deaths from falls Accidental deaths in Pennsylvania Burials at Calvary Catholic Cemetery (Pittsburgh) 20th-century American businesspeople