Tonia Ann Boykin

1947 - 2023

Tonia Ann Boykin
May 7, 1947 - February 24, 2023
Born in Seattle, Toni was the oldest of 6 children of Donald Lewis and Eileen (nee Carter) Lewis. The family arrived in San Francisco in 1958. Their first San Francisco home was on the roaring river of 19th Avenue one block from Golden Gate Park. The park became both a playground and refuge for her and her (then) four siblings. Later, In the Haight Ashbury district, she attended Lowell and then Polytechnic High School and gained another sister. At 18 Toni got her first job and shortly after met her beloved Wayne. Following a whirlwind romance, they married. After Wayne left the Navy, they spent some time in his home state of Mississippi before returning to the Bay Area and settling.
Toni has been described as passionate, a warrior, a force to be reckoned with, a friend, a survivor, and a savvy caring advocate. She took her work, her politics, her family, and her friendships seriously and with humor too.
In her thirties she returned to school at USF getting a bachelor's degree in organizational behavioral studies (now called BSBA in management) . For much of her working life she was a manager in the Acquisitions Department for the US Navy, Western Division Facilities Engineering Command (WESTDIV). Her job title was: Supervisory Program Analyst, Chief, Program Analysis Branch. When WESTDIV closed their offices in San Bruno, CA, Toni worked briefly at the Internal Revenue Service.
After retirement Toni was drawn into the secondhand trade, opening her own store, You Name it, which flourished in Manor Plaza in Pacifica for 20+ years. The store became a cultural presence, with its many fascinating artifacts ranging from paper ephemera to precious jewels and practical items for daily life. Many former customers have related that they furnished their homes from treasures purchased there; young people sometimes would come in to tell how they had grown up with the store. Toni was always grateful for the store's loyal following and for the many consignees who brought things to sell – creating a colorful mix of new, used, antique, and collectible items that drew folks from around the Bay Area and beyond. She was gifted with a hard-working staff, including students hired from the local high school's Workability program, who kept the store organized and eye-catching. The business ended with a party on premises to say farewell, with laughter, reminiscence, and tears.
One of Toni's many encounters with cancer left her less one leg but even more committed to life. She joined the Amputee Coalition that met yearly for conventions where they explored new developments in prosthetics and other adaptive gear while connecting, socializing, and networking.
She was a member/organizer for the Relay for Life, a cancer survivors organization – raising thousands of dollars for cancer research.
Challenges didn't slow Toni down. She was always looking for a better way to do things and was a creative problem solver. As a girl, when Playland at the Beach's mirror maze felt claustrophobic and frightening, she solved the problem by memorizing her way through the maze. In dealing with the maze of this world's problems, her political engagement and solution-finding focused on local ecology, women's political engagement, local and national electoral races and concerns. Toni was a prolific postcard writer for some of those races sending thousands of personal notes out to encourage voters to act in their own interest. Her efforts in making positive changes in the local community were recognized on a Toni Boykin Day by Pacifica's civic leaders.
She was fortunate to have traveled the world and did scuba diving in exotic locales. She and Wayne traveled to Guam, Japan, Mexico, Italy, New Zealand and more. Their final journey together was a cruise to Alaska. She loved Elvis Presley, to the point that Wayne sometimes felt jealous. She enjoyed the latest Elvis biopic and saw it 6 times in theaters. She was lucky enough to see him in concert on his last tour and she said he was "forty, fat, and fabulous."
She and Wayne loved fishing and camping and cultivated a warm circle of friends who shared these interests. They were happy hosts who had card and dinner parties for friends old and new.
Toni's church was very important to her. She belonged to St. Andrew Presbyterian of Pacifica and had served as a deacon. She joined members of the congregation in missions to help rebuild in New Orleans, help families rebuild locally and assist members in need. She is well known for her cooking, enjoyed at many church events. The wonderful, loving, members of the congregation supported Toni in myriad ways during her final illness. Our eternal thanks go out to them.
Predeceased by her parents Eileen and Donald Lewis, her husband Wayne Boykin, her brother Mark, and her niece Stephanie, Toni is survived by her sisters Wendy, Robin (Paul), Naomi and Gwyn (Robert). Memorial services will be held at Noon April 29th at St. Andrew Presbyterian 1125 Terra Nova Blvd. Pacifica.). In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory can be made to:
Pacifica Beach Coalition: Attn: Lynn Adams, P.O. Box 932, Pacifica, CA.94044
Cancer Commons: 650 Castro St. ste 120-522, Mountain View, Ca. 94041
Women's Cancer Resource Center, 2908 Ellsworth St., Berkeley, Ca. 94705
St Andrew Presbyterian Church, 1125 Terra Nova Blvd., Pacifica, Ca. 94044
Coastside United for Action https://gofundme.com/f/toni-boykin-postcard-memorial-fund
Photo by Jean Bartlett