Eugene R. Boyd

Eugene "Gene" Richard Boyd was born on June 11, 1923, in Nocona, Texas to John Price Boyd and Dollie Mae Stratton Boyd. John was a fireman on the railroad and moved the family around following work during hard times. When not living on the family homestead in Taiban, NM, they lived in cities and towns of the great State of Texas, including Floydada, Sweetwater, and Lubbock. After graduating from Lubbock High School, Gene spent most of his life there until he moved to live with his daughter and son-in-law in Amarillo at the age of 96. Growing up during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, Gene developed a strong work ethic. He started working at the age of twelve, delivering telegrams and prescriptions by bicycle and selling newspapers on the street corner by the local drug store. After graduating from high school, Gene went to work for Morrison Supply Company as a shorthand stenographer and bookkeeper. He continued working at the company for the next several decades, rising to the position of Assistant Branch Manager. Gene departed Morrison in 1971 to work for Hydraulic Products, which Valley Pump would subsequently purchase, as a purchasing agent. In 1978, he made his final career move to Fields & Company, where he worked as a Parts and Warranty Department Manager. Wanting to spend more time at home with his loving wife and help take care of maintaining the household, Gene finally retired in 1988. Gene took a brief leave of absence from his career as a civilian to serve this great country in the United States Army from 1943 to 1946. While in basic training at Fort Pickett, Virginia, Gene contracted pneumonia while bivouacked in sub-zero weather. The Army sent him to the hospital for one week with orders to rest and recover; however, within three days of his arrival, Gene was up and helping the other patients. After completing basic training, Gene was stationed at the 104th General Hospital in England, where he did his part during WWII. Despite a rewarding career in both the private and public sectors, Gene's true passion was his family. He lived on this planet for 101 years, loving only one woman during that time. While working for Morrison Supply, Gene often fielded phone calls from Shirley Jean Allen who was calling on behalf of her employer, Anthony Mechanical. One day, she decided she needed to meet the pleasant gentleman who was on the other end of the phone. So, she visited the showroom to meet him and they soon began dating. After marrying on June 11, 1960, Gene and Shirley built their dream home in Lubbock where they raised their two children and continued living until his loving wife passed in 2007. After Shirley passed in 2007, Gene decided to try something new and, at the age of 84, he took up dancing. He was a regular at the Thursday evening dances at the Lubbock Activity Center, where he could two-step and waltz with the best of them. Gene continued dancing until the age of 96, when a table leg caught his toe and sent him to the ground. Unfortunately, the fall broke his leg and prematurely ended his dancing days. Though Gene wasn't able to dance to it anymore, the music did not stop. He continued listening to music until his final days, sharing his passion with his younger caregivers and introducing them to the likes of The Lawrence Welk Show while they were visiting. Gene loved telling stories, especially those centered around the time he spent on his grandparents' homestead near Taiban. He and his brother, Jack Dempsey Boyd, helped put food on the family table by hunting rabbits together, which they did without the luxury of a firearm. The family ate the meat, then sold the hides and feet via a neighbor who took them to the market in Fort Sumner. Lacking indoor plumbing, Gene and his brother would haul water to the homestead in their wagon. Their bedroom, added onto the house after the fact, helped toughen the boys further, having gaps in the walls large enough that waking up to snow on their blankets was not an uncommon occurrence. Gene was kind, level-headed, had an even temper and seldom had a harsh word to say about anyone. Like most of his generation, he could and would fix most anything. He had stashes of parts and pieces with which he could patch up whatever needed fixing. He stayed busy working around the house. He loved working in the yard and tending the flower beds and took great pride in them. He absolutely loved a bargain and always knew where to get the best deal on groceries. Gene was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Shirley, and his brother, Jack. He is survived by his son, Ron (and Chris), and daughter, Becky Weeks (and Don), grandsons Nathan Boyd (and Mal) and Michael Weeks (and Laura), and great-grandchildren Amy Weeks, Meghan Weeks, Benjamin Weeks, and Ja'kai Jayden Boyd. A graveside service will be held at Resthaven Memorial Park on Saturday, June 29, 2024, at 10:00 AM.

Eugene R. Boyd

June 11, 1923 - June 21, 2024