As many of you have heard, our dear friend and fellow Masters swimmer Jason Coyle passed away at the pool during practice last Thursday evening due to a medical event. We are deeply saddened at his sudden passing and our hearts pour out to his wife Anita, who is also a Masters swimmer and to their 4 young children.
Jason was a life-long swimmer, an English teacher at Bountiful Jr High and a devoted friend. Many of our teammates have known and loved Jason for over 25 years. He always had a warm smile, a funny comment and a way to make everyone feel special. We all share a common grief and pain in the loss of such a great friend.
Share your stories and photos of Jason!
Please use the COMMENTS section below to share stories of Jason as well as photos. We are going to compile these into a book for Anita as well as anyone else who would like one.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zDiixZnkM6aPO1QEteV63eIaM-lQNbz9/view?usp=sharing
In a little over 2 years on the team I really enjoyed Jason’s genuine nature and his sense of humor. I could see early on he never got lost in a crowd! I enjoyed our time last Jan at the Las Vegas swim meet. He and Anita made it down for the meet and jumped right in to cheer for one of my fellow Alaskan swimmers.
Jason and Anita, “Let’s go Alaska guy!”
Jason asked me, “What’s his name?”
Me – “Kent”
Jason, “I like Alaska guy better, let’s go Alaska guy!” laughter all around…
You’ll be missed but not forgotten.
I began swimming with Jason on the Sharks swim team when we were kids. I remember swimming at the old indoor pool by the Bountiful library. We would do dry land exercises down in the gym before swimming. Jason loved to mess around on the fat jiggling machine. When I got moved up to his lane when he was in high school I was nervous but he made me feel welcome even though I was the youngest and a girl. I tried to find a picture but this was before waterproof cameras and before we felt the need to document everything…In the years since when I have come to the Masters practices (very sporadically) I always could count on Jason to give me a big smile, call me by name, and pass the waterpolo ball with me. I appreciate what a big heart he has and I feel like to know him was to love him. Anita, my friend, I am so sorry for your loss. My heart has been aching for you and your kids. You are strong and I know you will do amazing things but it sure doesn’t seem fair right now. I have to be out of town for the funeral but my heart is with you and my prayers are with you.
Jason always had an encouraging thing to say to me at the swim meets. He was always concerned with how everyone was doing. If I was struggling he would pick me up. If I did great he made sure i knew about it. He was a great observer of people. Always engaged and involved.
Last year at state champs he and I were side by side in the 50 backstroke. There was a really fast girl probably 26 or so next to us. We decided to try and distract her on the blocks to get an advantage. We actually got her laughing while the starter was talking. It was so easy to have fun with Jason around. She still beat both of us.
Jason always seems to be able to make anyone feel welcome. No matter what situation people were in Jason could do something funny or awkward just to help someone else not feel awkward or out of place. His fun attitude was totally infectious.
Some of my best times with Jason…., swimming with him across Bear Lake he’s just so natural and honest about feelings and the anxious moments before and relieved and exhausted friend afterwards. I love how attentive and teachable he was when he took on the ambitious exterior remodel of his home and we had many conversations about how and whys of construction and I was so impressed with the remarkable job he did and the satisfaction that brought him , he was genuinely thankful for my input. Most of all I like talking to him about his teaching and unconventional methods and what always surfaced was his deep and genuine love of his students and helping them “get it” .. always the ice breaking comments, grin, and of course the never predictable facial hair
Genuine, passionate, humorous, humble, and kind. This unique combination of traits made everyone feel welcomed, wanted, and loved. It made Jason fearless to try unconventional things and make you root for him. During practice we would both take our turns taking up the chase. Swimming the hardest and sometimes falling behind truly talented swimmers. Between us there was always a short word of encourage as we shared the struggle to keep up and going push beyond our capabilities. It is uncomfortable. It is hard. However, Jason was present to smile and assure. To take his turn with the burden. And then we would look at each other at the end of the set and ask the question that was not a question- dang aren’t we too old for this! It would be time to swim again and we would be off. I saw this in how he loved his family. I heard about this on the deck from loving students waiting for the old
people to get out of the pool. Till the next life buddy- we will all miss you.
With Jason it was always what you saw was what you got. He was just himself and didn’t care . I loved that part about him. I remember riding in the back of tom’s van after a one if the lake swims and he is reading a Star Wars book along the way. I thought this guy just likes to be himself and I thought how great that is. I miss him a lot and he will be greatly missed for his friendship and example.
After swim practice Jason and I would often talk about what we had going that day for work. Even though I don’t enjoy the English subject, I would have loved to go to Jason’s class. He made things fun, relatable and reasonable. As a parent, I am grateful for talented teachers that choose to give so much in a challenging profession. His life was cut short, but his influence is far and wide, like a mature adult, because he gave so much of himself.
One of my favorite things about swimming with Jason was the loud sighs he would let out in the middle of hard sets. In the middle of a hard swimming set often you are breathing so hard it is hard to speak well. Jason loved to talk, but sometimes he couldn’t, so he would just let us know how he was feeling via a loud sigh or groan. Also, if you were leading a set in Jason’s lane and chose a slightly easier interval he would often say “thanks” in the middle of the set for being more considerate. Jason is the kind of person that makes me want to be a better co-worker, husband, father and friend.
If I could just echo all that has been written here, I don’t have a specific story about Jason, but to sum things up, he always made whoever was talking with him feel good about themselves and important. He was genuine and cared for people, he always listened and responded. I always felt a kinship with Jason in that we were both pretty good high school swimmers, trying to keep up with truly great former college swimmers, you know who you are, and sometimes the intervals would get really fast and Jason and I would just look across the lane at each other and give the “oh crap! Good luck buddy” look and chase after.
Jason had a lot of little kid qualities. He got excited about new things and adventures. When I took his family to lake Powell it was like he had been dropped off at Disneyland. He couldn’t stop talking about everything he saw. Rocks, cliffs, the lake, boats. He took it all in and loved it
The life of Jason Coyle was lived fully and exceptionally well. Jason was everyone’s friend, he made you feel special when you were with him. He actively listened to you, he learned from you, when you were excited, he was as excited, or possibly more excited than you were. Jason was an observer of people, always engaged and involved, making other feel good about themselves.
Jason was an active guy. Every year he swam 7 miles across bear lake. He also Swam 7 miles in the second saltiest lake on earth twice and Swam 10 miles the length of deer creek reservoir in very turbulent water. He raced many events in US Masters Swimming, always placing in the top of his age group. You could always count on Jason to be in lane 10 pushing hard and training like a champion. Some of our favorite moments of Jason would be during long tough sets. When everyone breathing hard and hoping for the end of the set we could always get a loud groan from Jason. If someone suggested we take a Master’s Minute of an easier interval Jason would always reply “Thanks for being more considerate to the rest of us!” putting his big ole bear paw on your shoulder.
Jason Biked ridiculously long distances, completing a ride from Salt Lake City to St. George, competing in the 216 Mile LOTOJA, not to mention the countless long rides he did leading up to those rides. He also competed in many triathlons. Once a year he would run a 5K, he would tell us his training for the 5K was when he ran it the year before.
Always the Jokester, Last year at the Utah Master State championships Jason was racing next to a female swimmer that was half his age. Knowing she would challenge him throughout the race, he decided to make her laugh, which he accomplished as the starter taking their marks. He later recalled this story, and told us “She still beat me” in the boisterous way only Jason could do.
Jason loved his students. He would often tell us stories about his students, and methods he used to get them to achieve their potential. He chose to be a junior high teacher which only someone with Jason’s drive and passion for education would do. His students loved him. He made things fun, relatable and reasonable. Jason lifted his students lives, he taught them to love learning, and often used very difficult words that need looking up. As we would go around with Jason and see his students everywhere we went, he would yell to them “Read a Book”! He cared deeply for his students, many of you here.
Jason was Genuine, passionate, humorous, humble, kind and unique. What you saw with Jason was what you got. He was himself, that is what we love about you Jason. Most importantly he was an amazing father, and husband to Anita Coyle and their four children, Indiana, Oliver, Oscar, Owen. He loved his family as only Jason could, he was their protector, provider, teacher, father and husband. Anita, we could never fill the shoes Jason left, we are with you and support you and love you. Jason we love you, God be with you until we meet again Jason.