William (Bill) Boyd was born on April 22, 1942. He passed away peacefully in Seaford, DE, on September 5, 2023, after a long illness; his family was by his side. Bill was born in an Army hospital to Harold William Boyd and Catherine Taylor Boyd. Bill grew up in Yonkers, NY, with his three younger siblings, who predeceased him: Kenneth Boyd, Robert Boyd, and Carol Ann Boyd Panchari.
After graduating with honors from high school, Bill joined the Air Force. He served three of his four years in Woodbridge, England, as an Aircraft Radio Repairman maintaining UHF/VHF radio communication systems for F-100 aircraft. He was an Airman First Class and, as a proud veteran, loved to tell stories about his time in the Air Force. Bill met his five closest friends in the Air Force, and they maintained a relationship throughout their lives.
After returning home, Bill met and married Nancy Jean Mottram (Nan) of Yonkers, NY, on November 20, 1965. They had three children of whom he was very proud: Janet Boyd, Laura Boyd, and Susan Boyd Haase. He also had four grandchildren, Caleb Boyd Herbst, Ethan Boyd Herbst, Ava Haase, and Noah Haase, who brought him so much joy during his retirement in Toms River, NJ, and The Villages, FL.
His wife, children, and grandchildren were his world. He was involved in their lives in many ways, including coaching girls’ softball when they lived in Dumont, NJ. Bill played soft ball himself, was an avid gardener (a passion his children share), golfed, and salt water fished with his wife. Bill had a great love of animals. Although he “never wanted a dog,” he was crazy about every one we had. He loved trivia, especially the game show Jeopardy, and doing New York Times crossword puzzles.
Bill worked in New York City for 42 years in the field of communication, beginning his career as a telephone repairman in Harlem, NY. He took advantage of the GI bill to attend college at night. He graduated magna cum laude from Manhattan College with a B.S. in Business Administration, which allowed him to move into management positions, first with NY Bell/AT&T and later with the New York City Housing Authority. He was near ‘Ground Zero’ on 9/11 which had a profound effect on him for the remainder of his life.
Bill was very hard working and a man of few words who had deep feelings and a good sense of humor. He was kind to all he met and he passed this wonderful trait on to his loving family.
He left a beautiful legacy. To say we will miss him is an understatement.
The Celebration of Life for William Boyd is scheduled for Sunday, November 19 at 2 pm at the Manor House in Seaford in the Fellowship Hall. Chaplain Craig VonBusek will preside.
