ALTAMONT — With a life full of selfless acts, Thomas Nolan Doyle will be remembered best for his compassion for others. He died on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2016, at Albany Medical Center. “He passed quietly, having been in the care of his wife and four children,” his family wrote in a tribute. He was 77.

“One of his main focuses in life was to be socially active,” said his daughter, Anna Cantwell. Raised as Catholic, Mr. Doyle focused his faith on social justice and social change.

“He just believed in helping other people and doing for others without anything in return,” said Ms. Cantwell.

Born in Albany on Feb. 25, 1939, Mr. Doyle grew up in the city but often spent his summers at a family camp near Thacher Park. He attended Cathedral Academy and Siena College. He went on to earn his two master’s degrees at the University at Albany.

Mr. Doyle was introduced to Barbara Ellen English by his sister.

“When he walked into the bar, she was sitting on the piano, singing,” said Ms. Cantwell. “It was the very opposite of him; he was more private.” She became his wife.

Ms. Cantwell said her father was attracted to her mother because of the way she was able to interact with people. It complemented his own introverted nature and his desire to help people.

The couple married in 1967. Their three-year honeymoon consisted of service in the Peace Corps in Panama from 1967 to 1969.

“At the time, a lot of our family really questioned them joining the Peace Corps,” said Ms. Cantwell. But this didn’t stop the young couple from leaving their mark in Panama. The two returned about a decade ago to where they had once served to happily find the cooperative they had established being continued by Panamanians who had been children when they first met.

Returning to Albany after their three-year honeymoon in Panama, the couple welcomed the birth of their first child in 1969; three more children followed from 1970 to 1978. The family moved to Altamont in 1978.

“He always had us doing things around the house,” said Ms. Cantwell. “It was important to him to understand that food doesn’t come from the grocery store, it comes from the land.”

The family grew produce in their garden and raised pigs, goats, and honeybees; his daughter said goats were truly his passion.

Mr. Doyle, an electrician, was a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and encouraged his children to learn how to repair things themselves.

Mr. Doyle later for worked for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, from which he retired in 2000.

“Really, the driving force in his life was social equality,” said Ms. Cantwell. “I think that’s why HUD was one place he enjoyed — as much as anyone enjoys work.”

In the 1980s, Mr. Doyle became involved with the sanctuary movement, helping refugees from war-torn Central American countries. He also supported his church in its effort to work for poor people in Haiti.

Mr. Doyle had a special affinity for Guatemala, frequently volunteering over the past 25 years with Habitat for Humanity, The Guatemala Stove Project, and the San Lucas Mission in the country. He also spent many Saturdays at the Troy Farmers’ Market, selling fair-trade coffee on behalf of the people of San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala.

“Tom found refuge in the outdoors and nature, and loved to share its wonder with his six grandchildren,” his family wrote in a tribute.

They also wrote, “Tom will be dearly missed and long remembered for his intellect, humor, and compassion. He held a strong belief in service to others as a way to effect positive change in his community and around the world.”

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Thomas Nolan Doyle is survived by his wife, Barbara Doyle; his siblings, Paul, Robert, Jerome, Brian, Margaret, Cathleen, and Christine; his children, Margaret, Elizabeth, Anna, and Thomas; and his grandchildren, Sophia, Nico, Doyle, Faith, Oona, and Taj.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Nov. 5, at St. Lucy’s Church at 109 Grand St. in Altamont. His family will receive visitors at 9:30 a.m. prior to 10:30 Mass. A gathering for family and friends will be held from noon to 3 p.m. at 37 Fields End Dr. in Glenmont.

Memorial contributions may be made to Friends of San Lucas Mission, 4679 Cambridge Drive, Eagan, MN 55122 (https://www.sanlucasmission.org)  or to the Wildwood Foundation, 2995 Curry Rd., Schenectady, NY 12303 (https://www.wildwood.edu).

— H. Rose Schneider