Michael Leo "Mike" Coyne, age 65, third son and seventh child of the late Leo C. Coyne and Dorothy (Hohn) Coyne, long-time Ethan and Mitchell residents, died peacefully at his residence The Advance Home in Brookings, SD, on April 10. He died of natural causes aggravated by dementia. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 AM Wednesday, June 27, 2012 at Holy Family Catholic Church in Mitchell, the Reverend Larry Regynski , celebrant, with burial at Calvary Cemetery. Michael was born October 4, 1946, with Down Syndrome. At the age of seven, in 1953, he was enrolled at St. Coletta's School for Exceptional Children in Jefferson, Wisconsin. where he stayed until he attained the age of 22. From 1968 to 1981, he was a resident at the Redfield (SD) State Hospital and School. After the death of his parents, Michael then moved to The Advance Home in Brookings, where he remained until his death. Under the expert tutelage of Advance, Michael enjoyed good health and a happy, purposive life. He worked as a helper at various local stores and businesses, including Burger King, Perkins, and Hy Vee Grocers. For fifteen years he was the mainstay of the laundry crew at 3M Computer Lab on the SDSU Campus. Owing to his clear confidence and innate good nature, the staff at Advance dubbed Mike "The Mayor of Yorkshire," after the street address of his Brookings residence. It was an honor he enjoyed. He is survived by his sisters Jeanette and her husband Don Culhane of Mitchell and Tucson, AZ; Eileen and her husband Claire Tystad of Gering, NE; and Carol and her husband Roman Pumper of Crosslake, MN, and Ft. Myers, FL; by his oldest brother James and his wife Frances, of New York, NY and Carbondale, PA; by his sister-in-law Mrs. Peggy Coyne of Rapid City; and by 26 nephews and nieces. Mike was preceded in death by his parents; by his oldest sister Mary (Mrs. Milo Tystad), who was Mike's faithful guardian for many years; and by his brother Dr. Patrick J. Coyne, DDS, of Rapid City. Following interment at the family plot at Calvary Cemetery, a luncheon will be served by the Altar Society in the Holy Family Church Basement. Friends and mourners are welcome.
