Eric Roger Boyd

In his all-too-short life, Eric made many good friends, distinguished himself in his profession as a dentist, traveled widely, and touched many lives. Although there was more he hoped to do, he accomplished much in his very full life.

Eric was born and grew up in Kansas City. He attended Center High School, where he was on the wrestling team and played center for the football team. He graduated in 1997. He was also very involved in Boy Scouts and became an Eagle Scout in 1995. His experience with the Boy Scouts taught him to always be prepared, and it initiated a life-long love of wildlife and the natural world.

After high school, Eric studied at UMKC, where he was a member of the Lamda Chi Alpha fraternity, graduating with his B.S. in Biology. After graduating, he went on to study Dentistry at UMKC, earning his D.D.S. in 2006.

After earning his dental degree, Eric worked in Mishawaka, IN, in 2007, and in 2008 moved to Eureaka, CA, where he visited schools with a mobile unit to reach kids in underserved parts of the state. While in Eureka, he also coached high school football, inspired by the support and guidance he received from his coaches at Center High School.

After moving back to Missouri, Eric bought an established dental practice in Columbia, MO, in in July 2011. For the next 8 years, he owned The Colonies Dental Center, working, in his words, “full steam the whole time.” He sold his thriving practice in August 2019 with the plan of doing dental work for the U.S. Army and traveling. Unfortunately, his plans were cut short when he was diagnosed with a Glioblastoma brain tumor in October 2019.

Eric loved to help people. His patients in Columbia remember him as a kind dentist, reporting that he made them feel comfortable in the dentist’s chair for the first time. After his cancer diagnosis, Eric hoped the disease would spare him long enough so that he could help other cancer patients with his dental skills. He wrote an article for his Glioblastoma support group about dental issues after radiation that was very helpful to many members.

His favorite quote was something that his father often said: “Wherever you go, there you are.” Eric first visited Yellowstone with his father, and he went on to travel widely, often closing his practice for two weeks and heading out west to one of the many of the national parks. His photographs of wildlife and landscapes graced his walls, reminding him of the natural world that he loved. His favorite activities were hiking, fishing, hunting, shooting his guns at the shooting range, and talking politics.

Eric is survived by his mother, Vicki Boyd; his sister, Katy Daugherty, and her husband, Luke, and their children, Tristan and Brooke; his half-sister, Anne Boyd Rioux, and her daughter, Emma Rioux; and his grandfather, Herb Brooks. He was preceded in death by his father, Roger Quentin Boyd; his uncles , Raymond & Mark Brooks; and his grandparents, Melba & Quentin Boyd, and Mary Brooks.

A memorial service will be held for Eric on April 23rd at Mt. Moriah, Newcomer & Freeman Funeral Home, 10507 Holmes Road, Kansas City, Missouri. The family will begin receiving guests at 5:00pm and the service will follow at 6:00pm. This will be an informal remembrance where the family invites you to share your memories and kind words.