Our beloved father, John Richard Boyd, peacefully passed away on April 10, 2024, at his home in Valley Lee, Maryland surrounded by his loving family. He was 85.
John lived a full life. After graduating from Hoke Smith High School in 1957, he married his high school sweetheart, Mary Lee Forsyth. He enlisted in the Navy in 1959 during the Vietnam War where he served as Electronics Technician for 11 years. Decorations and Medals that John received for his time in the service included the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, and Good Conduct Medal.
While on a deployment to Guam, John and Mary gave birth to their first child, a daughter named Selene, with their son Jason arriving a couple years after. Many years later, while living in Albany, Georgia, they had their son Jonathan.
After being honorably discharged 1970, he applied for and received an Electronic Warfare position as a Civil Servant. So with his wife and young family in tow they moved about every five years throughout the United States and overseas.
John was stationed at Patuxent River Naval Base in 1978. Later, in 1985, John was stationed in Rota, Spain where he became a part of the Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron 2 (VQ4), nicknamed the “Batmen” and later “Sandeman.” The purpose of the VQ2 squadron was the collection of intelligence on areas and units of naval and national interest in the Mediterranean, Atlantic, Caribbean, and Middle Eastern Theatres. This Naval Support Group Activity plays an integral role in the war on Terrorism, combat actions, and crisis operations and peacetime intelligence collection.
In 1987, John returned to St. Mary’s County, where he retired from the Navy only to find that he wasn’t ready to stop working. John and Mary opened a Mail Boxes Etc. in the Wildewood Center in 1988. He served the community by shipping and receiving packages from loved ones with a ready smile and an easy laugh. He finally decided that he would retire for good and sold his store in 2009.
Throughout his time in St. Mary’s County, John was a part of many clubs and organizations including to the Piney Point Lions Club, Elks Lodge, and the Masonic Lodge.
John and Mary bought a house in The Villages, Florida (Home Port South) where they played cards with friends and neighbors, flew kites, and learned how to ballroom dance. They sold their home in Florida in 2018 to make their Valley Lee home (Home Port North) their permanent residence. John and Mary felt it was there true home.
John was a devoted husband, loving father, and proud grandfather. He is survived by this wife, Mary, his children, Selene (Shelby County, AL), Jason (Sargent, TX) and Jonathan (Stephanie, St. Mary’s County, MD), six grandchildren, Brittany, J.C., Emily, Sydney, Albany, Liam and one great grandchild, Abrea. John’s warm smile, infectious laugh, and unwavering kindness will forever be remembered by those who knew him. John will straight up be missed.
Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com.
Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A.
