John Starr Coye, Jr.
Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy

John Starr Coye, Jr. was born on 24 April 1911 in Berkeley, CA.

He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1933 and then went to Submarine School in New London.

During World War II, Commander Coye was the skipper of the USS Silversides for six of her war patrols, for which he was credited with 14 ships sunk, a total of 71,700 tons. He was three times awarded the Navy Cross for "extraordinary heroism."

He was also the commander of one of the U.S. submarine Wolfpacks known as "Coye's Coyotes," which was comprised of the submarines Silversides, Salmon and Trigger. After the war he served in both Korea and Vietnam. He was placed in command of a heavy cruiser for NATO.

Prior to his retirement in 1968 he was promoted to Rear Admiral.

In Retirement

After retiring in 1968, Coye retired to Coronado, CA, for thirty years of sailing and racing on his Cal-25, "Sea Dog." 

His lifelong hobbies included playing organ music, woodworking and photographing his worldwide cruises, with one around Cape Horn. He served as Commodore of the Coronado Yacht Club in 1975. 

Death and Burial

Rear Admiral John Starr Coye, Jr. died on 26 November 2002 in Ojai, CA. His remains are interred at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego, CA.

His beloved wife of sixty-seven years, Elizabeth Gabriel of Ojai, survived him with their three children; Commander Beth F. Coye, USN (Ret) of Ashland, Oregon, John S. Coye, III and his wife, Sally, of Windsor, CA, and Sarah White of Ojai, CA.

Elizabeth died in 2007 and she is interred with her husband.