Thomas Charles Coyte of Sunset Beach, born May 1, 1941 in Boston, Massachusetts to Albert Stephen Coyte and Alice Capen Coyte, died on July 23, 2017 after a battle with cancer. He spent his final days in the care of his wife of 24-years, Deb Coyte, his nephew Robert Sweet of Raleigh, and several long-standing friends to the couple.

Tom attended Franklin Institute in Boston, Massachusetts studying Civil Engineering Construction Management. He was a gifted builder, craftsman and visionary – skills that led to a successful career in the construction business.

Some of his early accomplishments included building a high school in Harwichport Cape Cod and serving as a field superintendent for a Brockton Treatment Plant, as well as a Foxboro, MA high school. Tom went on to build two factories for Texas Instruments and a Jostens Jewelry Factory, as well as a large addition at Massachusetts State University in Westport, MA. He owned his own heating and air conditioning company and did the mechanical work on many schools, factories, hospitals, and a large HUD high-rise project.

When times were tough, Tom had the ability to reinvent himself and harness his talent in new ways. When he sold the company, he moved to Atlanta, GA where he worked with developers to build hotels, motels, offices complexes, shopping centers, and townhouse developments. During the recession of 1974 he resumed heavy construction work as a project manager with U.S. Envirocon and built: treatment plants in Iowa, Pennsylvania, Missouri, and Vermont; a bridge across the Mississippi; a dam in Colorado, and a snow ski manufacturing plant in Burlington, VT. He won the bid and supervised the construction for two bridges crossing the Niger River in Nigeria, Africa gaining the West German company he worked for 5,800 employees for which he had built 220 homes. He returned stateside to work for a large residential and commercial mechanical contractor in Gaithersburg, Maryland taking them into the water treatment business. When the company was sold, he moved to Sunset Beach with the idea of taking it easy, but found he had to dabble in something, so he opened a car dealership, window replacement services, and a photo shop. He found that didn’t satisfy his creative mind, so after meeting and marrying Deb, he decided he wanted to build “Houses of Distinction.” He built close to two hundred custom homes in Brunswick County, winning many BCHBA and Parade of Homes awards.

Beyond his career and accomplishments, Tom was a generous man that loved to share his life with friends, family and animals. He was also known for treating both his workers and clients with honesty and integrity. Tom had both a fighting spirit and a warm heart. He was a man for all seasons, a gracious host, a good friend, and generous to those in need. He will be greatly missed.

Along with his wife, Deb, he leaves behind two daughters, one son, one stepson, seven grandchildren, three brothers, three sisters, and many nephews and nieces.

A Memorial Service will take place on Saturday, August 12, 2017 at 1:00 pm at Seaside United Methodist Church, followed by a Celebration of Life in the Pink Palace at Seatrail Plantation in Sunset Beach.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Tom’s name to: A Love for Life, 117 North Lincoln Avenue, Newton, PA 18940 and/or Lower Cape Fear Hospice, 1414 Physician Drive, Wilmington, NC 28401.