Obituary of Bruce A. Boyd

Bruce was born May 29, 1936 in Buffalo, New York to Milton J. and Elisabeth K. Boyd (Krause). He was the second of seven children. Shortly after, the family moved to Grosse Pointe, Michigan, where his mother was raised. Bruce attended St. Paul Catholic School, and later attended and graduated from De La Salle High School in Detroit. At De La Salle, Bruce excelled as a coxswain in the rowing team and enjoyed sailing on the Detroit River. After leaving high school, Bruce applied, was accepted and enrolled at the University Detroit where he met his sweetheart Barbara before serving in the United States Army while Barbara continued at the U of D with her studies in music. Bruce served in basic training at Fort Hood, Texas before he was shipped to Germany from Fort Dix, NJ. He was based near the Czechoslovakian border, where he would occasionally exchange short bursts of gunfire with Soviet troops before the construction of the border wall. After returning from active duty, Trans World Airlines hired Bruce to be a reservation agent in Detroit. Bruce and Barbara married in Detroit on October 7th, 1962 at St. Clare de Montefalco in Detroit. The reception was at the Whittier Hotel on the river. Trans World Airlines later transferred Bruce to the Chicago office, where Barbara worked at the Chicago Board of Trade. In 1988, he transferred again to the New York office in Manhattan. Bruce and Barbara, after living for a brief time in Forest Hills, NY, purchased a small two-bedroom Cape Cod home in Manhasset where they set to work, taking decades to expand the home to accommodate the needs of their growing family. For 53 years, Bruce and Barbara built a family and a house to make a home for Stephen, Janet and Kathy. They enjoyed neighbors, friends, associates and parishioners. Bruce’s handiwork eventually enlarged their home to twice the size. Every component and every surface in the home has Bruce’s signature work imprinted on it. While expanding their roots in the community, Bruce worked at TWA, began a successful travel agency, and became an expert in both the import/export trade and marine insurance underwriting. Over a 30-year career, Bruce worked at firms Gill and Duffus, AIG, and CNA Marine Division before retiring. Bruce’s active role as husband and father and grandfather, as well as his professional work, endeared him to hundreds of admiring colleagues, neighbors and friends. A devout Catholic, Bruce was dedicated, loyal and compassionate to his family and others throughout his life. He was always available at any time, day or night, to help friends and family. He is survived by his loving family, his wife Barbara, son Stephen and daughters, Janet and Kathy as well as their spouses. He has 12 grandchildren who he loved with all his heart including Emi, Bryce, Reid, Margret, Penelope, Ryan, Lena, Natalie and Charlotte, Declan, Gavin and Fiona. He will be missed by all including his two brothers and sister.