He was a native of Pricedale, Mississippi and had been a resident of Sulphur for many years. Charles was a retired U.S. Air Force veteran of the Korean and Vietnam Wars where he proudly served as a Master Sergeant with the 359th Bomber Unit. After his retirement, he was employed with Hercules Chemical Plant from 1970-1993, and then worked for West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital from 1993-1995. He was a member of Maplewood First Baptist Church in Sulphur. Charles enjoyed flying airplanes, riding motorcycles, race cars, boating, playing on the church softball, basketball, and volleyball teams, the senior Olympics, and at the age of 70, he decided to sky dive. Nothing could ever stop him with his adventurous spirit.
He is survived by his wife, Ethel LeDoux Boyd of Sulphur; his children, Chuck Boyd of Sulphur, Brenda Boyd Ford and husband, Len of Conroe, Texas, and Daryl Boyd Romero and husband, Ernest of Sulphur; his step-children, Tom Bradley and wife, Ellen of Moss Bluff, and Brent Bradley and wife, Trina of Sulphur; his grandchildren, Courtney Boyd Colvin and husband, Jeremiah of Fort Worth, Texas, Holly Mowbray of Houston, Texas, Nick Mowbray and wife, Ashley of League City, Texas, Billy Mowbray of Brooklyn, New York, Chris Ford and wife, Laurie of Cypress, Texas, and Scott Ford of Lake Charles; his great-grandchildren, Tayden Guidry, Lily and Charlie Mowbray, Grant, Livia, and Avery Colvin, and Aubree, Emerson and Bennett Ford; and his niece, Linda Craddock Bridges of Amite. He is preceded in death by his loving wife of 60 years, Zoan Shewmake Boyd; his parents, Emile Boyd and Minnie Boyd Dunaway; his step-father, James L. Dunaway; his sister, Dorothy Cecile Craddock; and niece, Sharon Gay Craddock.
His funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 16, in Maplewood First Baptist Church. The Rev. Jeremy Blocker and Chaplain Alex Geovanni will officiate. Burial will be in Highland Memory Gardens Cemetery in Lake Charles under the direction of Hixson-Sulphur Memorial Funeral Home. Visitation will be held at the funeral home from 5-8 p.m. Tuesday and will resume from 9 a.m. until the time of service Wednesday in the church. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be made to the Wounded Warriors Project, Tunnels To Towers, or a charity of ones choice. The family would like to give special thanks to Mr. Boyd's sitters, Cassie Higginbotham, Sheila Ortega, Pam Trimpey, and Joy Pitre, and also to Heart of Hospice, Shannon Cassell, Missy Giles, Alexandra Geovanni, and Addison Duplechain for their excellent care and love. Words of comfort and expressions of sympathy may be shared with the Boyd family at www.hixsonfuneralhomes.com.
