Obituary of John W. Boyle

John Walsh (J.W.) Boyle, 99, previously of Morgantown, WV and currently of Richmond, KY passed away on Monday July 8, 2024 at his home. He was born Jan. 19, 1925, in Mt. Pleasant, PA the son of the late John Anthony Boyle and Margaret Grace Coyle Boyle. He was a long-time member of St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Star City, WV and for the last two years was a member of St. Mark's Catholic Church, Richmond, KY. A man of great faith, he received the Holy Eucharist at every opportunity and was devoted to our Blessed Mother and the daily rosary. J.W. enlisted in the United States Navy in February 1942 serving two tours of duty until he was honorably discharged in December 1945. He was an Aviation Radioman First Class and served as a patrol-plane gunner in the Navy's "Bulldog Squadron", a PB4Y-1 "Liberator" patrol bomber unit assigned to the Asiatic Pacific theatre. He served in the American campaign, the Asiatic Pacific campaign, and the Philippine Liberation campaign. He received the Air Medal for meritorious service. He graduated from the West Virginia University School of Mining with a BS in Engineering of Mines in 1949 and worked for US Steel Corporation's Division of Mines throughout his 38-year career. His entire career was spent in coal fields of southwestern Pennsylvania and southeastern Kentucky. J.W. was an avid student and his interests had few boundaries. Most of his studies centered on God, faith, history, engineering, biology, and languages. He was fluent in Spanish and German as well as, Latin. He also loved to travel, exploring the United States and much of Europe with his wife and children. For much of his adult life, he was an avid runner, until a bum knee slowed him down in his late 70's. At that point he focused his attention on a life-long dream of flying, earning his pilot's license at the age of 79. At that time, he was the oldest person in the state of West Virginia to accomplish this feat. Since retiring from US Steel, he regularly traveled south to KY to help his son-in-law, a farmer, with the spring planting and fall harvest. He loved the camaraderie and fellowship from his family and friends in the farming community and especially enjoyed driving the big farm equipment. And, oh how he loved to dance! Every family wedding was an opportunity to dance with his beloved wife and all his favorite girls, who are far too numerous to mention. He would often be the very last to leave the dance floor with a smile on his face. He is survived by 11 children: Mary M. Boyle, John A. Boyle and wife Lorraine, Kenneth P. Boyle and wife Eleanor, Regina A. Boyle, Philomena Boyle Blaney and husband Clinton, James P. Boyle and wife Susan, Michael J. Boyle and wife Kathy, Elizabeth Boyle Grant and husband Donald, David E. Boyle and wife Debra, Bernard M. Boyle and wife Kathleen, and Electa Boyle Winters and husband Robert; sixteen grandchildren, and twenty-four great-grandchildren, numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and extended family members to whom he was known affectionately as "Pap". J.W. was predeceased by his wife of 59 years, Mary Regina Phillps Boyle and his brother Francis Rudolph (Rudy) Boyle. Family and friends will be received from 5-8 PM on Friday July 12th at Combs, Parsons & Collins Funeral Home, 328 West Main Street, Richmond, Kentucky. A mass of Christian burial will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday July 13th at St. Mark Roman Catholic Church, 608 West Main Street, Richmond, KY with Father Tom Farrell officiating. A graveside service with full military honors will be held on Monday, July 15, 2024 at 11:00am at Sylvan Heights Cemetery, 603 N Gallatin Ave Ext, Uniontown, PA 15401. The Combs, Parsons & Collins Funeral Home of Richmond, KY and Hastings Funeral Home of Morgantown, WV are in charge of arrangements. Send condolences online at hastingsfuneralhome.com