Jeffrey Julian Boyd (1956-2019)

BOYD, MEHRLE, GOLLADAY, PASCHALL

Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 5/17/2021 at 16:53:12

From Grandon Funeral and Cremation Care obituary, Ames, Story County, Iowa:

Jeffrey Julian Boyd, 63, passed from this world into the arms of his loving Savior, on October 21, 2019. A gathering of friends and family will be an hour prior to the 10:30 a.m. funeral service on Saturday November 2, at Christ Community Church 5501 George Washington Carver Ave, Ames, IA with food and fellowship to follow.
Born September 5, 1956, to Julian and Marilyn Mehrle Boyd, Jeff grew up in Caruthersville, MO. In his youth, his life revolved around church, family, farm work, school, and sports. He accepted Jesus as his Savior at an early age and grew up a bright, kind young man. He played basketball in high school and like his dad before him and two brothers after him, football. A football scholarship took him to KY and Murray State University in 1974 where he was a defensive tackle for the Murray State Racers and a physical education major, but it was a chance encounter on a Murray racquetball court that redirected his life. A physician, new to the western KY area, was looking for racquetball opponents. He was put in contact with Jeff. After getting to know Jeff through the game, he asked him to just "consider" medicine as a career. Jeff said "after getting up off the floor from laughing", he did start to think about it as a possibility. His first step in that direction was a job at nearby Mayfield Community Hospital as an orderly "to make sure he liked sick people". At the hospital, he met Sandy, an RN in the ICU where he worked. They struck up a friendship and soon, Sandy started getting to work early for her night shift and Jeff started staying a little longer after his afternoon shift ended. They were married in 1980. Shortly thereafter, Jeff started medical school at the University of Missouri in Columbia. After graduating in 1985, he did his internal medicine residency and a cardiology fellowship at KU Medical Center in Kansas City, KS. Jeff and Sandy's two children, Leah Beth and Andy, were born during that period in 1985 and 1989, respectively. In 1990, Jeff began his life long career with Iowa Heart Center starting in the Des Moines, IA, office and finishing in Ames.
The move to Ames came in 1994 when he agreed to start up an Iowa Heart Center clinic there. Others soon joined the Ames office and the practice flourished. Jeff loved his work, his co-workers, and his patients. He took genuine interest in the lives of the people who trusted him for their cardiac care and became close with many of them. He was known around the office for his good nature, pure humor, and a series of sayings he coined that became known as "Dr. Boyd-isms". In the 2000s, Jeff became involved with a ministry to Mongolia and made several trips there to teach echocardiography to Mongolian cardiologists. Diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2009, he was forced by his health to slow down his work and his travels and finally take early retirement in 2014. Though out of the office, he remained in the hearts of the people who worked there and they remained in his.
Surprised and saddened as he was by the Parkinson's diagnosis and early retirement, Jeff never despaired, and God soon made his new plan for Jeff's life apparent. He became involved in the Matthew 25 House ministry here in Ames. Matthew 25 House ministers to men recently released from prison who want to turn their lives around through a committed relationship with Jesus Christ. Jeff was passionate about the time he spent working on behalf of Matthew 25 House and especially about his time spent mentoring the residents there. He sometimes wondered if that had been his true calling all along.
Those who knew Jeff know about his strong faith, his great love for his wife and children and grandchildren...all of whom he was very proud of (if you worked with him, you've heard about their accomplishments and seen pictures), his love of medicine and its practice, his concern for the down-trodden, and his affinity for sweet, corny jokes. He enjoyed fly-fishing for the sport and because, in Jeff's words, "trout don't live in ugly places". He was especially fond of The Big Horn river area in Montana and cherished the times he spent with family and friends there. Jeff enjoyed most food and all kinds of restaurants...the food network was a TV staple...but his very favorite things to eat were anything bar-be-qued (think burnt ends) and all things chocolate or chocolate-chipped, and of course, his mom's famous gingerbread men. He also enjoyed music of all genres but especially liked classical and jazz. New York City was his favorite place to visit because in addition to all the sites to see and culture to experience, the food and music opportunities are practically endless.
The three weeks prior to his passing were spent first in the hospital and then at the Hospice house here in Ames. During that time, he was continually surrounded by family and friends that felt like family. His last big smile and eye twinkle were generated by a group of Iowa Heart nurses reciting Dr. Boyd-isms. The last meal he was able to eat ended with an Iowa Heart nurse homemade chocolate chip cookie. His last afternoon on this earth was spent listening to son Andy play classical guitar, and though Jeff was neither able to open his eyes nor speak as he listened, the look of peace and pleasure on his face was strikingly evident to all present.
Jeff his survived by his wife Sandy, his daughter Leah Beth (John) Golladay of Knoxville, TN, his son Andy (Katie Sergio) Boyd, of Ames, IA, grandchildren JB and Olivia Golladay of Knoxville, TN. Also surviving him are his mother Marilyn Boyd, Caruthersville, MO, younger brothers David (Julie) Boyd of Portageville, MO, and Doug (Peggy) Boyd of Caruthersville, MO, and younger sister Julie (Jeff) Paschall of Gainesville, GA.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any remembrances be in the form of gifts to the Matthew 25 House, via PO Box 1906, Ames, IA, 50010

The family would like to thank all of you who have shown us so much love and support over the course of Jeff's illness and especially over the last three weeks of his life. To all of you at Mary Greeley Medical Center and the Israel Hospice House, your care for Jeff was so loving, so tender, and so respectful...it was phenomenal and so moving to witness. And finally to Dr. Hallberg, words can't express how grateful we are for the attentive and caring way you've treated Jeff all these years. As much as I love animals, I'm so glad you forewent veterinary medicine for the human kind.

http://www.grandonfuneralandcremationcare.com/
 

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