John Kirkpatrick Boyce

1924 - 2020

John Kirkpatrick Boyce, Jr., 95, of Amarillo, TX died September 15, 2020.

John Kirkpatrick Boyce, Jr. was born on September 24, 1924 to John Kirkpatrick Boyce, Sr. and Margaret Curtis Boyce. John was born in Amarillo and the Curtis side of his family was a pioneer ranching family of the Texas Panhandle.

Throughout his life, John was well-rounded and he excelled in both his academic and athletic pursuits. Early on in life, John was able to prove his leadership capabilities when he earned the rank of Eagle Scout. John later graduated from Amarillo High School in 1942. He then attended The United States Military Academy at West Point graduating in 1945 with a degree in Military Engineering. John's final class rank was 43 which was in the Top 5% of his class of cadets allowing him the distinction of wearing stars on the collar of his West Point uniform during his final year. Upon graduation from West Point in 1945, John was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and served in the Corps of Engineers for four years. Most of John's service in the United States Army was in the European Theater in Berlin, Germany.

After serving in the Army, John attended and graduated with his MBA from the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania in 1951. While pursuing his MBA studies at Wharton, John was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity at the University of Pennsylvania. While at Wharton, John's Thesis was titled "Developments in Windstorm Insurance Since 1930". Considering the fact that John served as an Independent Insurance Agent in Amarillo, Texas for Williams-Boyce Agency beginning upon his 1951 graduation from Wharton until his recent death, the subject matter of his Thesis was very appropriate for his future career. Like his father before him, developing and maintaining long-term professional relationships with insurance companies, employees, colleagues, and especially multigenerational clients of Williams-Boyce Agency were the mark of his success.

John joined his father at Williams-Boyce Agency after his graduation from Wharton in 1951. In 1954, John was awarded the Chartered Property & Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation. Throughout his insurance career at Williams-Boyce, John was very active in both his business pursuits and his civic pursuits. John was a natural leader and served as a leader in many professional and civic organizations including serving as a Committee Chairman and Board Member of the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas; Past President of the Independent Insurance Agents of the Panhandle; Senior Warden of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church; Past President of the Rotary Club of Amarillo with 69 years of Perfect Attendance; Salvation Army of Amarillo Advisory Board of Directors for over 60 years; Board Member of the Potter-Randall County Appraisal District; and Past President, Silver Beaver Award recipient, and 2013 Good Scout Award recipient of Boy Scouts of America Golden Spread Council.

While still at Wharton but spending the summer of 1950 in Amarillo working for his father at Williams-Boyce Agency, John met his future wife, Sidney Stinnett Boyce. John and Sidney were married in May of 1952 and they enjoyed 62 years of happy marriage until her death in 2014. John and Sidney were proud parents of four sons, nine grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, eight nieces and nephews and eighteen grandnieces and nephews. These surviving members of his family include son John K. Boyce III, wife Vicki and daughter Olivia Leighton Stinnett Boyce; son Beaumont Stinnett Boyce and children Carol-Sidney Simmons and husband, Houston, Beaumont Stinnett Boyce, Jr. and wife Jordan, George Lindsey Boyce and wife Lauren, and Mary-Claire Masterson Boyce; son Peter Masterson Boyce, wife Maureen and their children, Anna Eliza Carr and husband, Paul, Samuel Masterson Boyce, and Molly Maureen Boyce; son William Curtis Boyce, wife, Suzanne, and son William Curtis Boyce, Jr.; great-grandchildren Boyce Simmons, Ainslee Simmons, and Phillip Simmons; Beaumont Boyce III and Ben Boyce. John is also survived by his sister, Margaret Cannon Boyce Brown, brother, James Curtis Boyce, and sister-in-law Anne Dryden Boyce.

The family deeply thanks the Goodcare caregivers Francheska, Melinda, Christy, and Cindy who allowed John to live in comfort at home and continue to be active at his office and regularly attend both Rotary Club meetings and Church services after the death of his wife.

Funeral Services will be at the Boxwell Brothers Ivy Chapel, 2800 Paramount Blvd., at 2:00 pm on Saturday, September 19, 2020 with burial to follow at Llano Cemetery. Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors, Amarillo.

The family will receive friends at Boxwell Brothers Funeral Home on Friday, September 18, 2020, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggest memorials be made to: The Salvation Army of Amarillo, 400 South Harrison, Amarillo, Texas 79101; Boy Scouts of America Golden Spread Council, 401 Tascosa Road, Amarillo, Texas 79124; or a charity of your choice.

Sign the online guestbook at www.boxwellbrothers.com