Dr. James B. Boyd

He was married for 70 years to Joan H. Boyd before she preceded him in 2020.

He leaves behind their three children: Janice Purcell (Peter), James W. Boyd (Denise), and Jocelyn Pinson (David), nine grandchildren (Kevin, Kathleen, Timothy, Michael, Denise, Karen, Abigail, Amy, and Alison) and eleven great-grandchildren.

Educated in the public schools of NY City, he went on to earn a BA at Columbia College and an MA and EdD at Teachers College Columbia University.

He entered the Army Air Force at 18 during WW II. After an accelerated program in meteorology at MIT, he became a commissioned officer and weather forecaster. He served the Coastal Air Command and later forecasted weather for a photo recon squadron out of Leyte in the Philippine Islands.

After the war, he taught high school math in Harrison, NY. During the Korean conflict he taught math at Stewart Air Force base to soldiers who had appointments to West Point.

He returned to public school teaching in Montclair, NJ after the conflict was over. He served as teacher, assistant principal, summer school principal, and assistant to the Superintendent responsible for recruiting and evaluation of all professional personnel. Served as President of Montclair Lions Club.

He left teaching to become Executive Vice President of the educational consulting firm Englehardt & Leggett. He completed evaluation studies for more than 100 school systems nationwide.

He took a superintendency in Newtown, CT for three years, before he became Superintendent in Miller Place, NY for 14 years. He set up a new high school and in its tenth year it was an outstanding school for its size in NY state and the nation the second year of the competition.

He and his wife Joan (and their three children) sailed and raced on Long Island Sound and the New England coastal waters for many years. He was Commodore of the Triton Association of Long Island Sound (TALIS). He was also Long Island Sound champion of TALIS one year. Then, once the children left, they went on cruising on two other sailboats, all of them named Magic.

An avid golfer in his youth, he remained a competitive golfer in retirement in Wilmington, NC. He also enjoyed pistol shooting competitions. He and his wife Joan loved travel and went to many destinations across the world.

He had been an active member of the Presbyterian Church, and was proud of his Scottish heritage.

One of the last of the Greatest Generation.

His memorial service is planned at First Presbyterian Church, 125 S. 3rd Street, Wilmington, North Carolina, November 15, 2026 at 2 p.m.