The Good Lord, in His infinite wisdom, puts on this Earth a few good men from time to time. One such was our friend and Brother Knight, Timothy J. Coyle.

Tim came to Council 9317 on 10 March 1991 and instantly made his mark among us. He became our Grand Knight in 1994 and served us well for two terms. During his term as Grand Knight he, along with a Past Grand Knight of Council 6321, Millington, co-chaired the 1995 State Convention here in Memphis, one of the best in the state’s history. He later became a Fourth Degree Knight, first with Msgr. Leppert Assembly 1923, and then transferring to Lee Hurst Assembly 2183, a District Deputy and finally, in the late 1990s, he began the slow rise through the chairs of the Tennessee State Council. He became State Advocate in the early 2000s.

Tim was a guiding force in the three "Walk-a-thons" that established a scholarship fund for St. Benedict at Auburndale in the early 1990s; he was the local host for a "Make-a-Wish" group from Canada in 1995; he was selected as State Knight of the Year at the state convention in 1996 and, among the appellations in that application was his nickname "Mr. America," given by the children at Cordova Middle School when they learned the birthday, 4 July, of their ever-faithful traffic-control guard and basketball coach; he was on various parish councils during the tenure of Fr. James L. Pugh and, currently, Msgr. Peter P. Buchignani, V. G., always furnishing wise counsel when asked for, and sometimes when not asked for.

Tim was Irish through-and-through; he was U. S. Marine Corps through-and-through; he was a Knight of Columbus through-and-through; he was a good man through-and-through. Tim was of average physical size but the size of his character, intelligence and abilities was many levels above "average," many levels above most of us.

Timothy J. Coyle, Major, USMC-Retired, has attended his final muster before the ultimate CG, our Heavenly Father. He stood straight, he stood tall, he stood proud, as one who has done a good job with the tasks assigned him on this earth. Please know Tim that we have valued your friendship and counsel in the few short years we have known you. In this we are not alone. Be with God my friend, and, every now and then, look down and extend your hand in assistance to those of us who are still striving to be where you are now.