Bob was born 1924 in Elyria, Ohio and relocated to Portsmouth, VA as a child. Bob graduated Woodrow Wilson High School in 1941 and went to work for Sears, Roebuck & Co. as department manager, and then the Norfolk/Portsmouth ferry system as Cash Management Manager, while attending William & Mary College.
Drafted during WWII, Bob graduated from the Army Air Corp Aviation Cadet Pilot Program, serving as a 1st pilot flying B-24 bombers until his older brother Todd was killed by flak in one of the initial Ruhland oil refinery sorties which ultimately resulted in the destruction of the Ruhland refinery, one of Germany’s last major refineries. Bob was then transferred as his other brother, Irvin was a B-17 pilot in the Air Corp in the Philippines and his father had long since passed away. Bob began training younger pilots in the U.S. and after the war, volunteered for the Air Force Reserve where he managed a mobilization assignment at Langley Field, Virginia as a multi-engine pilot and air transport group personnel officer. Bob regretted until his last day the fact that he was never able to avenge the death of his brother given his transfer.
Bob’s love of flying remained with him throughout his life. He would tell amazing stories about flying B-24’s but always came back to the fact that the plane, while very effectively serving its country and its purpose as a long-range bomber, was a “piece of crap”. The rivets were loose, each of the four engines sounded and ran differently (on every B-24 he flew), the instruments, and everything else, would break constantly and the thing would rattle like crazy-all because Boeing was rolling them off each of the two productions line at the clip of about 100 per day given the Germans were shooting them down, or they were breaking, at the same rate-so volume, not quality was the paramount goal. In 2014, on one of his many visits to the Boeing Center at the World War II Museum in New Orleans while attending his brother Todd’s flight group reunion, Bob ran into another 90-year-old staring at the B-17 hanging from the ceiling and asked if he was a B-17’ pilot-he was. The two men then debated which plane was more poorly constructed-the B-24 or the B-17-for an hour. If they had a few bottles of wine with them, they would have debated the issue for the afternoon.
After leaving the military, Bob became an office manager for Dun & Bradstreet before joining the Norfolk banking firm of Seaboard Citizens National Bank. While there, Bob obtained a graduate certificate from Stonier Graduate School of Banking, Rutgers University, and a graduate certificate from the American Institute of Banking. He taught banking curriculum in the community area colleges & vocational schools for sixteen years. Bob served as President of the Atlantic Bank of Orlando and Southeast Bank of Fort Lauderdale, retiring in 1989.
Bob later joined his son Todd's law firm, Boyd Richards, managing all firm administration until the age of 89, at which point he actually retired- only because he suffered a heart attack on his train ride home from work one day. Despite his age, but because of his incredible physical condition, the surgeon performed quadruple by-pass surgery and Bob fully recovered and returned to normal activities. The surgeons comment post-surgery, after explaining that he fully expected to terminate the surgery after opening Bob up, was his shock about the youthful condition of Bob’s organs and bones to which he told Bob’s three children present at the hospital …”you three are members of the good gene club”. Yet another great gift Bob left his kids.
In all of his business ventures, Bob being the people person he was, made great efforts to make sure his employees were motivated, happy and proficient and he made great efforts to enable them to further their careers at every opportunity. As a result, he was loved by his co-workers in all of his jobs and positions.
During his banking career, he served the community as president of Civitan Club of Norfolk, and was awarded its highest honor, the Diamond Honor Key Award. While in Sarasota, FL, Bob served as president of the Keys Rotary Club. He also coached Little League baseball, boys’ basketball and girls’ softball, his teams winning City & State championships in Virginia & Florida.
Bob was predeceased by his wife of 67 years, Carol Laughbaum Boyd. He is survived by four children, daughters Judith A. Smith of Kill Devil Hills, NC, and Cheri Babin, (Bill) of Winter Springs, Fl; and sons, Todd Boyd (Sherry) of Miami, FL and Brian L. Boyd of Mt Dora, FL. He leaves 7 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and 3 great-great grandchildren.
Bob was one of the nicest guys to walk the planet. He always had a big smile, warm greeting, great laugh and would listen and help anyone who needed it-and some who didn’t. He never had a bad word to say about almost anybody, (few exceptions), and found the good and the interesting in those he met along the way. Bob will be missed by all who had the pleasure to know him. One small example of his generosity was that as a World War II veteran, Bob received six tickets to the inauguration of the World War II Memorial in Washington DC. The night before the inauguration, while at a restaurant, Bob heard the obvious grandfather and veteran with a large family at the table next to his, discussing which family members could attend given he only had six tickets as well. As soon as Bob heard the disappointment from the two family members who would have to be excluded, Bob walked over and gave his fellow veteran four of his six tickets. And these were no small tickets to get, front 30 rows were veterans and family only, Congress had to sit behind them and over 100,000 people attended. All Bob cared about was that his fellow veteran, who he didn’t know, should not have to pick and choose which family members attended. That’s the kind of guy Bob was.
Bob loved his wine, red only, and drank it, lots of it, until his final days. Bob could hold his alcohol like few others and his stories came faster and his smile grew bigger as he would sit and drink with friends and family until the wee hours. Even after his heart attack, when his wife Carol would limit him to three glasses, he would refill his glass, or have someone refill it, every time Carol left the room.
Interment will be held at a future date with a short military ceremony. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memory contribution to the New Orleans World War II Museum or any Veteran’s organization.
In memory, have a bottle of wine, or two or three, for Bob.
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
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