Online Guide to House Members and Senators /Wikipedia Public Domain
Jamie Howell
Staff Writer
Former U.S. Congressman Howard Coble passed away on last Tuesday.
According to a story in the New York Times, Coble had been in the hospital since September for skin cancer treatment and the removal of lymph nodes.
Coble became a U.S. congressman in 1985 and was the longest serving congressman in North Carolina history, having served for three decades.
In an article from USA today, when talking about his position as US Congressman, Coble was quoted in having said, “It’s not my seat; it’s not a Howard Coble seat. It belongs to the people of the 6th district.”
Coble was known and respected by people from all over the political spectrum whether or not they agreed with him.
In a recent article, USA noted, “during his time in office, he received support from independents and democrats who did not always agree with his conservative ideology but believed in the man and all he stood for.”
Coble was born in Greensboro in 1931 and was a resident of the state until his death. He attended Appalachian State University before moving on to Guilford College and eventually to the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Law.
Before becoming a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, he was a member of the U.S. Coast Guard. He also served as a NC House Representative, a U.S. assistant attorney and State Revenue Secretary under Governor Jim Holshouser.
According to an article in the New York Times, during his time in congress, Coble denied a congressional pension because of his fiscally conservative views; he voted against pay raises for lawmakers and led a subcommittee on intellectual property issues.
He also originally voted against President George W. Bush’s bailout bill in 2008 but ended up voting for it after a few changes had been made.
Many people have come out with statements regarding the recent death of former Congressman Coble, according to the News and Record, including NC Gov. Pat McCrory, who said “With the passing of Howard Coble, NC not only lost a wonderful public servant and congressmen, but our state also lost a friend and mentor to so many, including myself. He was a friend who was genuine, hardworking, sincere and honest.”
McCrory continued, “We will all miss our friend, but we’ll never forget him and the good things he did for our country, our state and so many of us individually.”
The UNC-Greensboro College Republicans posted on their Facebook page the day after his death saying, “We lost a wonderful man last night. Prayers and thoughts go out to the family and friends of Congressman Coble today.”
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