John Kirkpatrick Boyce, Jr.

John Kirkpatrick Boyce, Jr.
John Kirkpatrick Boyce, Jr.
John Kirkpatrick Boyce, Jr.
John Kirkpatrick Boyce, Jr.

John Kirkpatrick Boyce, Jr., 95, of Amarillo, TX died September 15, 2020.

John Kirkpatrick Boyce, Jr. was born on September 24, 1924 to John Kirkpatrick Boyce, Sr. and Margaret Curtis Boyce.  John was born in Amarillo and the Curtis side of his family was a pioneer ranching family of the Texas Panhandle.

Throughout his life, John was well-rounded and he excelled in both his academic and athletic pursuits.  Early on in life, John was able to prove his leadership capabilities when he earned the rank of Eagle Scout.  John later graduated from Amarillo High School in 1942.  He then attended The United States Military Academy at West Point graduating in 1945 with a degree in Military Engineering.  John’s final class rank was 43 which was in the Top 5% of his class of cadets allowing him the distinction of wearing stars on the collar of his West Point uniform during his final year.  Upon graduation from West Point in 1945, John was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and served in the Corps of Engineers for four years.  Most of John’s service in the United States Army was in the European Theater in Berlin, Germany.

After serving in the Army, John attended and graduated with his MBA from the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania in 1951.  While pursuing his MBA studies at Wharton, John was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity at the University of Pennsylvania.  While at Wharton, John’s Thesis was titled “Developments in Windstorm Insurance Since 1930”.  Considering the fact that John served as an Independent Insurance Agent in Amarillo, Texas for Williams-Boyce Agency beginning upon his 1951 graduation from Wharton until his recent death, the subject matter of his Thesis was very appropriate for his future career.  Like his father before him, developing and maintaining long-term professional relationships with insurance companies, employees, colleagues, and especially multigenerational clients of Williams-Boyce Agency were the mark of his success.

John joined his father at Williams-Boyce Agency after his graduation from Wharton in 1951.  In 1954, John was awarded the Chartered Property & Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation.  Throughout his insurance career at Williams-Boyce, John was very active in both his business pursuits and his civic pursuits.  John was a natural leader and served as a leader in many professional and civic organizations including serving as a Committee Chairman and Board Member of the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas; Past President of the Independent Insurance Agents of the Panhandle; Senior Warden of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church; Past President of the Rotary Club of Amarillo with 69 years of Perfect Attendance; Salvation Army of Amarillo Advisory Board of Directors for over 60 years; Board Member of the Potter-Randall County Appraisal District; and Past President, Silver Beaver Award recipient, and 2013 Good Scout Award recipient of Boy Scouts of America Golden Spread Council.

While still at Wharton but spending the summer of 1950 in Amarillo working for his father at Williams-Boyce Agency, John met his future wife, Sidney Stinnett Boyce.  John and Sidney were married in May of 1952 and they enjoyed 62 years of happy marriage until her death in 2014.  John and Sidney were proud parents of four sons, nine grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, eight nieces and nephews and eighteen grandnieces and nephews.  These surviving members of his family include son John K. Boyce III, wife Vicki and daughter Olivia Leighton Stinnett Boyce; son Beaumont Stinnett Boyce and children Carol-Sidney Simmons and husband, Houston, Beaumont Stinnett Boyce, Jr. and wife Jordan, George Lindsey Boyce and wife Lauren, and Mary-Claire Masterson Boyce; son Peter Masterson Boyce, wife Maureen and their children, Anna Eliza Carr and husband, Paul, Samuel Masterson Boyce, and Molly Maureen Boyce; son William Curtis Boyce, wife, Suzanne, and son William Curtis Boyce, Jr.; great-grandchildren Boyce Simmons, Ainslee Simmons, and Phillip Simmons; Beaumont Boyce III and Ben Boyce.  John is also survived by his sister, Margaret Cannon Boyce Brown, brother, James Curtis Boyce, and sister-in-law Anne Dryden Boyce.

The family deeply thanks the Goodcare caregivers Francheska, Melinda, Christy, and Cindy who allowed John to live in comfort at home and continue to be active at his office and regularly attend both Rotary Club meetings and Church services after the death of his wife.

Funeral Services will be at the Boxwell Brothers Ivy Chapel, 2800 Paramount Blvd., at 2:00 pm on Saturday, September 19, 2020 with burial to follow at Llano Cemetery. Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors, Amarillo.

The family will receive friends at Boxwell Brothers Funeral Home on Friday, September 18, 2020, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggest memorials be made to:  The Salvation Army of Amarillo, 400 South Harrison, Amarillo, Texas 79101; Boy Scouts of America Golden Spread Council, 401 Tascosa Road, Amarillo, Texas 79124; or a charity of your choice.

13 Replies to “John Kirkpatrick Boyce, Jr.”

  1. Oh I’m so sorry to hear this. He was a wonderful, good person, who welcomed everyone. It was always a treat to see him and Sidney when my family visited Amarillo. My dad and John Boyce were first cousins.
    I’m thinking of my Boyce cousins and send love and prayers.

  2. Mr Boyce and his brother Jim, got me started in the insurance business in 1979, and I never looked back. Welcomed me into the agency and helped me learn the business after graduating college. Always had fond memories of them after leaving to advance my career.
    Condolences to the Boyce family

    Armand Smith and family
    Peoria, Arizona

  3. A true gentleman and a scholar. He always made me feel at home and welcomed when we were included in the Boyce family gatherings. I send sincere condolences. RIP, Mr. Boyce.

  4. Our condolences and deepest sympathy to your family on the passing of John. He was such a fine person. It was an honor to know him, and get to spend time with him. He will be sorely missed.

  5. He was a great person and did a lot in Amarillo to make it a better place to live. I always enjoyed seeing him Rotary meetings each week over the years and to have perfect attendance that long is amazing. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family during this difficult time!

  6. We have Miss Joe in the last few months and certainly will miss him in the future. We always enjoyed his greetings in and looked forward to seeing him each Sunday. Our prayers go out to all his friends and family. Dave Blakley and Bruce McAda

  7. John was such a model of faithfulness and commitment. His time here is up but I believe he will be a legend in Rotary for decades to come.

  8. My sincere sympathy to all the Boyce family. John was a friend to all. He lived the ideals of the Boy Scouts of America and Rotary International. I was privileged to know of John’s long involvement in both. His legacy is profound.

  9. John lived a Christian life and truly cared about the downtrodden and homeless individuals of Amarillo. He was one of the finest gentleman I have ever met. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

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