[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 59 (Thursday, April 12, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E450-E451]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        RETIREMENT OF PHIL COYNE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL F. DOYLE

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 12, 2018

  Mr. MICHAEL F. DOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 
honor Mr. Phil Coyne, a Pittsburgh icon who has just retired after 
eighty-one years of service to our community as an usher for the 
Pittsburgh Pirates.
  Phil, the brother of Pittsburgh's former Congressman Bill Coyne, 
served generations of sports fans during his career, pausing only to 
serve his country in the military for four years during World War II.
  At 99, Phil retired with a unique store of memories that spanned 
three different ballparks and six thousand games. Arguably the Pirates' 
biggest loss of the season, Phil leaves with his own Pirates jersey 
sporting the number 99, and his presence will be felt not only by the 
fans sitting along the third-base line in PNC Park, but by the whole 
city.
  ``Phil remains number one on our organizational seniority list and 
will always have a place on our team,'' affirmed Pirates President 
Frank Coonelly.
  Phil also ushered at Steelers football games until he was 98--and at 
St. Paul Cathedral every Sunday.
  Phil's long career is unlikely to ever be matched or exceeded.
  While Coyne will not be there to usher for anyone any longer, he will 
still listen to games and even attend some of them--but now as a fan.
  On behalf of Pennsylvania's 14th Congressional District, I want to 
commend Phil and thank him for his many years of dedication to

[[Page E451]]

Pittsburgh sports and his community, and I am pleased to honor him as 
his 100th birthday approaches.

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