JOHN BOYD

BOYD--John "Jack", passed away peacefully in his sleep on January 30, 2021 at home in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York with family by his side. He is survived by his six children, Andrew (Rita Hagan) Boyd, John (Jane) Boyd, Jenny (Ken) Murphy, Kenneth (Donna) Boyd, Margaret Boyd, Joseph (Laura) Boyd, his twelve grandchildren and his many nieces, nephews and friends. He was preceded in death by his wife Margaret "Peggy" Boyd, his beloved dark-haired beauty, and by his sisters Margaret (Peggy) Baer and Evelyn Stuart and his brother Andrew (Andy). Jack was born in 1928 in Jersey City, NJ to Andrew and Jennie (MacDonald) Boyd and grew up in the Bronx. As a child he spent many memorable barefoot summers on the family farm in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. He graduated from Cardinal Hayes High School and Manhattan College in the Bronx. He completed college on the GI Bill after serving in the 11th Airborne as a paratrooper. Jack was an exceptional athlete. Inspired by his beloved New York Baseball Giants, he was a catcher in high school and college and continued playing for a number of amateur and semi-pro teams. During one notable season he traveled south with a team of predominantly black players, the NY Americans, to play an all-white team before a segregated crowd on what had only recently been a whites- only ballfield. That experience moved him deeply and reinforced his stance as a fierce advocate for equality and civil rights. Jack played for one year in the minor leagues in North Carolina before returning to college. Jack had a 39-year career as an Underwriting Manager with Nationwide Insurance in White Plains and then in Syracuse when the office relocated. Jack and Peggy returned to the New York City area in 2017 to be closer to family. Jack was a skilled storyteller, captivating all with memorable tales of his days in the Bronx, in Nova Scotia and playing ball. A loving husband, father, grandfather, uncle and a cherished friend, he leaves us with the wisdom he brought to every conversation, the strength he brought to challenging circumstances, the example of self- sacrifice, but mostly the love he so deeply felt for family, which we will forever hold close. A private memorial mass will be held this week, and a celebration of his life will be scheduled at a later time when it is safe to gather. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Jansen Hospice.