Woodford County Judge-Executive John 'Bear' Coyle found dead on his farm, after apparent heart attack

John "Bear" Coyle

Woodford County Judge-Executive John Coyle, who was about to retire after three four-year terms at the head of county government, died unexpectedly at his farm on Troy Pike south of Versailles today. Coroner Ronald Owens said the cause appeared to be a massive heart attack.

Coyle was 63. His chosen successor, state Rep. James Kay of Versailles, said Coyle's wife, Mary Don Coyle, discovered him about 2:30 p.m. "He had gone out to feed some ponies he kept for his granddaughters, and never came back in," Kay said.

Coyle was farming in his home Nonesuch community in 1985 when Loren "Squirrel" Carl, then a county police detective, ran for sheriff and put him on his ticket as a deputy.

"I just took a liking to him, when I would go to the Nonesuch store," Carl recalled in an interview. "John was my friend and one of the hardest-working guys I had. . . . I always called him John-boy."

Coyle's better known nickname, "Bear," came in 1987, when he took an anti-drug message to an elementary school, "carrying a stuffed toy bear to engage the children," Kristy Robinson Horine reported in 2015 for the Blue Grass Area Development District. "Coyle says the bear’s uniform and hat matched his own, even down to the badge. One small child in the front row latched onto the resemblance and declared to Coyle, 'You look just like him! I’m going to call you Bear.'"

When Carl was in his third term, he resigned to work in the state attorney general's office for Ben Chandler of Versailles, and "I was able to get John appointed sheriff," Carl said. "Nobody ran against him when he was sheriff. . . . He was very personable, very likeable."

When Democrat Joe Gormley didn't seek re-election as judge-executive in 2006, Coyle ran, won the primary and general elections, and was re-elected in 2010 and 2014, both times defeating Republican Bobby Gaffney. The second race was closer, 54 to 46 percent, and Gaffney carried five precincts, including rural Midway.

“He was a gentleman and a class act,” Midway Mayor Grayson Vandegrift said. “We disagreed on policy quite a few times, but there was never a cross word between us when we saw each other. On Midway Station, we worked particularly well together, and he’s part of the reason for the success we’ve seen there. My heart goes out to his family.”

Kay said Coyle surprised him on April 7, 2017 by calling him to his courthouse office and telling him that he wasn't going to run again and that Kay would be "a great judge-executive." Kay said Coyle's support "did make it a much better shot" for Kay, and no one else in either party filed for the office. Kay will take office Jan. 1 unless Republican Gov. Matt Bevin appoints him to fill the vacancy.

Kay said Coyle will be remembered for his "steady leadership, his common-sense approach to good government; he always did the right thing, or what he believed the right thing to be. . . . He was a great steward of taxpayers' money and he left the county with a nearly $5 million surplus."

Besides his wife, Coyle is survived by four sons: Andrew (Kristin), Roy (Katherine), Matthew (Jordan) and John Paul; and three granddaughters: Ella, Sloane and Mallory.

Visitation with the family will be held from 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, at Versailles United Methodist Church, 230 Paynes Mill Rd. Those wishing to pay respects may also do so at the church Friday, Nov. 30, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at which hour funeral services will be conducted at the church. Officiating will be Tim Noel of Troy Presbyterian Church, with eulogy from County Attorney Alan George and comments from retired Judge Anthony Wilhoit.

County offices will close at 1 p.m. Friday for the services.

Burial will be in the Versailles Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Spurgeon Chapman, Glenn Carter, Charles Melvin Carter, Kip Gillespie, Charles Withers and David Sutherland. Honorary pallbearers will be all Woodford County magistrates, Loren “Squirrel” Carl, Wayne “Tiny” Wright, John Wilhoit, Jerry Lancaster, Ronnie Durbin, Alan George, Gordie Shaw, James “Flea” Kay, Sr., James Kay, Kenny Tilghman, Mark Molla, Randy Redmon, Sandy Redmon, Clifford Ray Bradley and the staff of the second floor at the Woodford County Courthouse.

Memorial donations may be made to Troy Presbyterian Church, 11021 Troy Pike, Versailles, KY 40383 or the Food Pantry for Woodford County, PO Box 1066, Versailles, KY 40383, where Coyle was planning to concentrate his efforts in retirement. For the full obituary from Blackburn and Ward Funeral Home, click here.