Richard Boyden Durgin

Richard “Dick” Boyden Durgin, 91, of Madison, Mississippi passed away peacefully on July 4, 2023, at Mississippi Baptist Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi. He was born on September 13, 1931, in Newton, Massachusetts, and lived in Wellesley, Massachusetts, during his childhood and spent adventurous summers at Sagamore Beach on Cape Cod. Dick attended high school at Cushing Academy in Ashburnham, Massachusetts, where he played football, baseball, and was the captain of the hockey team. He continued to play all three sports at Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont, and was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. In 1955 he graduated from Norwich University and then served in the United States Army from 1955 to 1959.

He loved baseball, sailing, hockey, tennis, football, the Boston Red Sox and Boston Bruins; Dick played baseball in the Cape Cod League from 1948 until 1954 and won 2 Cape Cod League Championships. In 1977 he won the Catalina 22 National Sailboat Racing Championship on the Ross Barnett Reservoir; he joined the Capital Area Amateur Hockey Association of Jackson, Mississippi, in his sixties and scored a “Hat Trick” at the age of 68.

Dick was a former member of the Rotary Club of Jackson, past Commodore of the Jackson Yacht Club in 1975 and past Commodore of the National Catalina 22 Sailing Association in 1978. He was a former Sunday school teacher at Christ United Methodist Church in the 1970’s and was a faithful supporter of Madison Ridgeland Academy, especially for the basketball teams and served as president of the school board in 1981. He retired from APAC-Mississippi, Incorporated (formally Warren Brothers) as Regional Vice President in 1996; Dick was currently serving on the Zoning and Planning Committee for Madison the City. He was a member of Madison Methodist Church and the Truth Seekers Sunday School Class. Dick enjoyed spending time with his friends and family at Dauphin Island and loved his Misadventures moments where he was known as Skipper. He loved his grandchildren and great-grandchildren and their friends with all his heart and was affectionately known as RB.

Dick was preceded in death by his beautiful wife Barbara Lawson Durgin, his parents Arthur Dudley Durgin and Ann Bernice Ferry Durgin of Wellesley, Massachusetts, his brothers William Ferry of Rhode Island and Arthur Durgin of Seattle, Washington, and his sister Ann Cliff of Wellesley, Massachusetts. He is survived by his daughters Kimberly Durgin McKee and Nancy Durgin May and her husband Terry of Madison, Mississippi, his grandchildren Amy McKee DeLashmet and her husband Clark of Savannah, Georgia, John Durgin May and his wife Morgan of Trussville, Alabama, Amanda May Parlow and her husband Cade of Maury City, Tennessee, and Allyson Lynn May of Madison, Mississippi. His great grandchildren Adeline Tate DeLashmet, Vivian Maeve DeLashmet, and Emory Jean May survive him also.

The family would like to thank all the nurses, doctors, and nursing assistants who took excellent care of him during his brief illness.

Visitation will be held at Madison Methodist Church on Friday, July 7, 2023 at 9:00 am until 11:00 am and the Celebration of Life Service will begin at 11:00 am at the church. The burial service will follow at Parkway Funeral Home on Highland Colony Parkway in Ridgeland, Mississippi.

Memorials may be made to Madison Methodist Church, 100 Post Oak Road, Madison, Mississippi, 39110, or to the Salvation Army Headquarters, 1450 Riverside Drive, Jackson, Mississippi, 39202.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.parkwayfuneralhomeridgeland.com for the Durgin family.