Boyd Marion Steele

One of five siblings, he was raised in a small house in Ider, AL, by his beloved mother, Pauline, after the death of his father when Boyd was a young child. The pride of Ider High School, Boyd grew tall in the fertile Sand Mountain soil, where, when he was lost, he could be found at the basketball courts. His life would take him many places, but it could be said that his heart remained in the fields and dirt roads that grew him.

Basketball first took him to Northeast State Junior College, where he was a nationally ranked shooter, before it plucked him out of the Alabama farmland and dropped him off at West Georgia College. There, he became an integral part of the basketball program, eventually serving as team captain. After his playing days ended, he stayed on as a graduate assistant coach.

After graduation from West Georgia, Boyd returned north, eventually landing in the banking business. In 1983, he graduated from the prestigious Graduate School of Banking at LSU. Over the years, his banking career took him to Pioneer Bank, Northwest Georgia Bank, and Gateway Bank, of which he was a founding partner.

He had many successes in life, but the greatest thing those successes gave him was the opportunity to build and serve the Catoosa County community he called home. At one time, he was chosen as the Catoosa County Chamber of Commerce’s Citizen of the Year. Boyd served as Chairman of the Chamber on more than one occasion and truly valued the relationships he built there. His commitment to education included years of service to Walker Technical Institute (now Georgia Northwestern Technical College), as well as mentoring several Catoosa County students over the years—a role he took seriously. As a board member for the Catoosa Foundation for the Performing Arts, he worked hard to make the dream of a Catoosa County Colonnade and Amphitheater a reality. He was an ardent supporter of Catoosa County Schools and was, in particular, Ringgold High School’s number one fan. Through his membership in the Ringgold Kiwanis Club and the Ringgold Downtown Athletic Club he worked to support the Ringgold High School athletic programs and facilities. Although he was an Ider Hornet at heart, he was also a Ringgold Tiger.

While Boyd was proud of his personal successes, he was most proud of his three children and grandchildren, whose accomplishments—big or small—brought him more joy than his own. He coached his children’s Little League teams, and as they got older and his role changed, he did everything in his power to be present for every concert, recital, game, competition, or meet—never out of obligation, always out of joy.

Boyd was blessed by God to have the opportunity to reconnect with his college love, Kathy Lloyd, later in life. They married in 2013, with enough precious time to go on many adventures together before Kathy became his devoted caretaker in the last years of his life. They have been blessed by their regular involvement at Sojourn Community Church.

He was preceded in death by his father, Hubert Violen “Jeff” Steele; his mother, Mandy Pauline Beaty Steele; his brother, Max Steele; and his sister, Doris Steele Smith.

Left to hold his memory are his wife, Kathy; his three children, Sara-Kate Thomas (Jeremy), Casey Fradin (Chris), and Zac Steele (Kaitlyn); his grandchildren, Eli, Lizzie, Hadley, and Grant; those he counted as family, Luke, Alex, Cohen, and Laila; his sisters, Debbie Steele and Brenda O’Dell; and several nieces and nephews.

Through his marriage to Kathy, Boyd’s family grew in ways that brought him great joy. He welcomed her six adult children into his heart and life: Heidi Rajecki, Joseph Rajecki, (Allison), Faith Deweese, Mary Ward (Jonathan), Elizabeth Borland, David Rajecki (Cara). Through them, he also gained 16 grandchildren; Madison, William, Jacob, Andrew, Kylie, Abby, Isaac, Uriah, Halle, Jonah, Judah, Candler, Breuer, Collins, Miles and Callie. They loved him as their “Pops”, the name given to him by his firstborn grandchild, Eli, so many years ago. He loved each of them as his own-a beautiful reminder that family is shaped not just by blood, but by the love we share.

Dad’s chair is empty now, his beloved dog, Gus, still there beside it. We will miss him every time we see houndstooth or hear someone shout, “Roll Tide!” We will smile when we open a giant bag of potato chips or drink a glass-bottle Coke. When we miss you, we will pour a glass of red wine, pull our blankets up to our chins, and turn on some golf.

You were joy and light. One day, you will shine on us again.

In Lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Boyd's name to the Tunnels to Towers Foundation:

https://dogood.t2t.org/give/320847#!/donation/checkout