Mary Boyd was born in Anderson, SC on Sept. 26, 1932 to Melvie Staley.
Col. Mary Boyd entered active duty with the U.S Air Force on October 1958 and served in various positions from Staff Nurse to Chief Nurse in the U.S and overseas including North Africa, Japan, England and the Philippines.
Her outstanding military career included a 3 year tour with Headquarters USAF Inspection and Safety Center, Norton AFB, CA where she was the first nurse to serve as Interim Chief of a Medical Inspection Team. Following her tour with the Inspection Team, Col. Boyd was selected as Chair, Dept. of Nursing, Malcolm Grow USAF Medical Center, Andrews AFB.
Col. Boyd earned a Diploma in Nursing from the Medical College of VA,. BSN from the University of Nebraska and MSN from the University of California, San Francisco.
She received numerous awards and recognitions, most notable the Legion of Merit; three Meritorious Service Medals; and Air Force Commendation Medal.
Col. Boyd is featured in Dr. Mary Carnegie’s The Path We Thread- a book recognizing the contributions of black nurses from 1854-1984.
Within the state and community she served on numerous boards;including former President George Bush’s appointment to the Advisory Committee on Women Veteran’s Affairs. Former Maryland Governor Shafer’s appointed her Commissioner for the Maryland Veterans home in Charlotte Hall, Maryland; she was an active member and Board of Directors to the Retired Officers Association (TROA) and President of the General Smallwood Chapter TROA; she was the Past Director of the East Central Region of the Society of Retired Air Force Nurses. In 1995 she was appointed by Senator Mac Middleton to the 28th Legislative District Senatorial Scholarship Committee. From 1989 to 2007 she served as the College of So. MD’s Special Projects Coordinator and Executive Director of Diversity and Equal Opportunity. She served on the Board of Directors for the Conservancy of Charles County. Colonel Mary Boyd was the former president of the African American Heritage Society of Charles County, Inc.; was instrumental in the acquisition of its Heritage House, located in La Plata, and the renovation in 2009.
Col Boyd. is survived by her sister Margaret Lewis of S.C and many nieces and nephews, including Charles Burton and Eric Flowers, whom she raised.
The celebration of Life for Colonel Mary Boyd will take place on
Saturday March 11, 2017 at
Sacred Heart Catholic Church
201 St. Mary’s Avenue
La Plata, MD 20646
Visitation:10:30-12:00
Mass:12:00
Burial ceremony will be done at Arlington Cemetery at a later date.
