Horace O. Coil, Newport Beach Attorney for 20 Years, Dies at 55

Horace O. Coil, a prominent attorney in Newport Beach for more than 20 years, has died after suffering from a brain tumor, relatives said. He was 55.

Coil died Sunday at Riverside Community Hospital.

The attorney, who specialized in personal injury law, was appointed by Gov. George Deukmejian to a three-year term as head of the state Disciplinary Board for lawyers. At 21, he was also one of the youngest students to pass the California bar examinations. He attended Hastings Law School in San Francisco.

Coil was a member of the firm of Reid, Babbage & Coil with offices in Newport Beach and Riverside. The firm recently merged to form Reid & Hellyer of Newport Beach.

The attorney was a member of several social organizations including the Orange County Vikings and the Balboa Bay Club. He also worked with the Heart Assn. and the Trauma Society.

Coil is survived by his wife, Beverly Thompson Coil, and two stepchildren, Vance and Marne. Funeral services are scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday at the Calvary Presbyterian Church at 14th Street and Magnolia Avenue in Riverside.