Jeffrey Paul Pyle (August 30, 1964 – September 14, 2022) was an American politician and educator who served as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

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 ...

from 2005 to 2021, representing the 60th legislative district.

Early life and education

Pyle was born in

Kittanning, Pennsylvania Kittanning ( pronounced ) is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in, and the county seat of, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Armstrong County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is situated northeast of Pittsburgh, along the east bank of the Al ...

. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from

West Virginia University West Virginia University (WVU) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Beckley, Potomac State College ...

and a Bachelor of Science in secondary social studies education from

Indiana University of Pennsylvania Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) is a public research university in Indiana County, Pennsylvania. As of fall 2021, the university enrolled 7,044 undergraduates and 1,865 postgraduates, for a total enrollment of 9,009 students. The univ ...

in 1991.

Career

Pyle went on to teach American history and government at Ford City High School as well as social studies at Shannock Valley Jr./Sr. High School. He was recognized for his efforts in and out of the classroom, being named "Educator of the Year" within his school district in 1999 and "Conservation Educator of the Year" in 2000. In 2004, Pyle was the mayor of

Ford City, Pennsylvania Ford City is a borough in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, United States, northeast of Pittsburgh along the east bank of the Allegheny River and south of Kittanning, the county seat. The population of Ford City at the 2010 census was 2,991. An ...

receiving over 61% of the vote. He was re-elected in 2006 with over 70% and again in 2008 running unopposed.

Pennsylvania House of Representatives

Pyle ran for the 60th Legislative District seat after incumbent

Jeff Coleman Jeff Coleman (born July 4, 1975) is a former Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Background Coleman was born to a Filipino American family at Whidbey Island Naval Base in Washington in 1975. In the 1980s his family ...

declined to seek another term. Coleman then publicly endorsed Pyle as his successor through a series of campaign ads. In his first term, Pyle introduced legislation to increase the penalties on drug delivery resulting in death. This passed the house 199-0 but was not considered by the Senate. He also worked on legislation to provide property tax relief by raising the state sales tax by 1%. The amendment failed by a few votes. In 2007, Pyle was appointed a Deputy Whip and chaired the Task Force on Drugs and Law Enforcement. His work greatly enabled the decision of Allegheny Technologies Inc to build their hot strip mill in Brackenridge which solidified ATI's western Pennsylvania steel making and those jobs for the next century to come. He also served on the following committees: Environmental Resources and Energy (chair of the subcommittee on Mining), Labor Relations, Liquor Control and as the Republican Secretary of Transportation (chair of the subcommittee on Aviation). In addition, he served on the House Republican Policy Committee and was a member of the Firefighters and Sportsmen's Caucuses Executive Board and chaired the Coal and Diabetes Caucuses. In 2014 there was a chemical spill of MCHM that polluted the drinking water of 300,000 people around

Charleston, West Virginia Charleston is the capital and List of cities in West Virginia, most populous city of West Virginia. Located at the confluence of the Elk River (West Virginia), Elk and Kanawha River, Kanawha rivers, the city had a population of 48,864 at the 20 ...

. The MCHM remaining in the damaged tanks was moved from West Virginia to Rosebud Mining's Dutch Run coal preparation plant near

Elderton, Pennsylvania Elderton is a borough in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 334 at the 2020 census. Geography Elderton is located at in eastern Armstrong County. U.S. Route 422 leads northwest to Kittanning and southeast to ...

, within Pyle's district, in February, 2014. Reacting to news that Washington lawmakers want more oversight of MCHM, Representative Pyle said training of emergency responders makes sense, but requiring federal oversight of something that's been used for fifty years is "capricious". In 2020, Pyle suffered a

stroke A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...

. His continued rehabilitations and cancer treatments forced him to retire from the House on March 16, 2021.

Controversy

In January 2021, Pyle posted a meme on his personal Facebook account mocking Joe Biden's appointee for

Assistant Secretary for Health The assistant secretary for health (ASH) is a senior U.S. government official within the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The position is a statutory office () and the holder of the office serves as the United State ...

Rachel Levine Rachel Leland Levine (; born October 28, 1957) is an American pediatrician who has served as the United States assistant secretary for health since March 26, 2021. She is also a four-star admiral in the United States Public Health Service Com ...

. Critics characterized the post as transphobic, and the LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus of the

called for Pyle to be reprimanded. In response, Pyle issued an apology.

Personal life and death

Pyle was a survivor of

kidney cancer Kidney cancer, also known as renal cancer, is a group of cancers that starts in the kidney. Symptoms may include blood in the urine, lump in the abdomen, or back pain. Fever, weight loss, and tiredness may also occur. Complications can include spr ...

, which was discovered shortly after his election. He underwent surgery and made a full recovery. Since then, he remained very active with the

American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer. Established in 1913, the society is organized into six geographical regions of both medical and lay volunteers operating in more than ...

and its Relay for Life over a five county area. He was an avid outdoorsman and rated A+ by the National Rifle Association. He was also a member of the Firearm Owners Against Crime, the Ford City Lions Club, the Kittanning Elks Club, the Ford City Eagles Club, Pony Farm Trap and Gun Club and the Ford City Sportsmen's Club. Pyle died in Ford City, Pennsylvania, from cancer on September 14, 2022, at the age of 58.Jeffrey P. Pyle - Pennsylvania House Archives
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References

External links

Representative official websitePA House profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pyle, Jeff 1964 births 2022 deaths Mayors of places in Pennsylvania Republican Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives People from Ford City, Pennsylvania Schoolteachers from Pennsylvania West Virginia University alumni Indiana University of Pennsylvania alumni 21st-century American politicians Deaths from cancer in Pennsylvania