Tommy Joe Boyd, a long-time resident of Denison, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, July 29, 2020. Tom was born in Narcissa, OK on August 4, 1933, to Clyde (Jim) Boyd and Nina Ruth White Boyd. After proudly serving in the United States Army from 1953-1955, he graduated from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College and worked for Boeing while attending Wichita State University in Kansas. He went on to work for the Federal Aviation Administration as an Electronic Technician for 30 years. Tom married the love of his life, Dolores Forister, an elementary school teacher, on April 24, 1953. Together, they raised a loving family, traveled and made life-long friendships, and filled their days with joy, new experiences and togetherness.
Tom is preceded in death by his parents, Jim and Ruth, his wife, Dolores, a sister, Patsy Richardson of Flint, Michigan, beloved grandson, Thomas McVay, and son-in-law, George McVay. He is survived by his brother, Jerry Boyd of Miami, Oklahoma, and his wife Janice, two daughters, Paula McVay of Paris, Texas, and Diane Vanderbilt of Garland, Texas, and her husband, Bill, three grandchildren, James McVay of Azle, Texas, and his wife, Jennifer, Caitlin Vanderbilt of Boston, Massachusetts, and Will Vanderbilt of Dallas, Texas, and his wife, Kelsey, and two great-grandchildren, Lee and Emma McVay, along with numerous cousins, nieces, nephews and many cherished friends.
Tom was a talented, hard-working man of high moral character. He was kind, considerate, honest, patient, unpretentious and a constant good example. His hobbies included RV traveling, farming and wood working, and there wasn’t much he couldn’t fix or repair. Tom was a long-time, highly regarded member of the Denison Lion’s Club, receiving numerous Lion of the Year awards. He oversaw the Lion’s Club Toy Shop for years, helping to collect, repair, organize and distribute toys as well as food to assist in-need families at Christmastime. He enjoyed spending time with family, especially his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, taking them for rides on the tractor and camping in the RV when they were young, and attending school functions and performances as they grew older.
Due to the pandemic, a celebration of Tom’s life will be held at a future date. Those wishing to attend the memorial service are requested to email their contact information to TheBoydFamilyTX@gmail.com. In lieu of flowers, it was Tom’s wish that donations be made to the Texas Lion’s Children’s Camp (lionscamp.org) or a personal favorite charity. The family would like to thank Bratcher Funeral Home in Denison and extend special thanks to the employees of Legend Healthcare & Rehabilitation in Paris for their kind and loving care of Tom over the last year.
The Dalai Lama said, “I have come to the conclusion that whether or not a person is a religious believer does not matter much. Far more important is that they are a good human being.” Tom and Dolores Boyd were good parents, grandparents, friends and community members. May they be united again in love and rest in peace together forever.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.bratcherfuneralhome.com for the Boyd family.
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