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March 2, 2005

John Boyd-a competitor the the end

By TOM WILLIAMS
Sports Columnist


Who was the only pitcher to pitch against the Boston Braves, Milwaukee Braves and Atlanta Braves?

If you knew the answer was Hall of Famer Robin Roberts, then you probably knew John Boyd. He loved those trivia questions and loved the fact that, most of the time, he knew the right answer and you didn’t.

He loved to compete.

At Mainland Regional High School, not a season went by without him competing. He ran cross country in the fall, played basketball in the winter and ran on the track team in the spring. He was not an all star, but he was a valuable competitor. He made each team better and helped each athlete on each team reach his potential.

When John was young, he envisioned spending his high school years in red and white uniforms, not green and white. His father, Jack, was the boys basketball coach at Ocean City High School and his mother, Rita, a teacher there. He rarely missed an OCHS game, frequently sitting behind the bench. But the rule allowing OCHS teachers to enroll their children in the school, regardless of where they lived, was rescinded the year John was to enter high school.

So, as a resident of Northfield, he went to Mainland. Not only did he involve himself deeply in the school but so did his entire family. His younger brother, Jeff, was another three-sport star, setting school passing records in football. And both parents threw themselves into the booster clubs at Mainland.

John went on from Mainland to Lynchburg (VA) College, where he devoted his energies to Phi Delta Theta, the fraternity he helped establish on the campus.

Eventually, Boyd became a master personal trainer and moved to Denver. Along the way, he got involved in snowboarding and skiing. He volunteered for Habitat For Humanity, the Junior Olympics and Toys For Tots. And he continued to run.

Just last year, he finished 12th out of 300 runners in the American Discover Trail Marathon over the Rocky Mountains. He was 4th in his age group. He also coached the Colorado Outward Bound Women’s Marathon Team.

To say that sports was an important part of John Boyd’s life would be an understatement. And to say that he loved to compete would be just as inadequate a description. When he wasn’t playing sports, he was talking about them. Or reading about them. Or watching them on television.

Like the rest of his family, John was outgoing, an easy conversationalist. During this past fall, despite ongoing struggles with the brain stem tumor that ultimately caused his death, he competed in three different NFL fantasy leagues.

At the time of his death, John was watching Duke beat Wake Forest on television with his family. His father played for Duke but it really didn’t matter. John would have been interested in that game anyway because it was a good game. And he was a devoted sports fan.

Thousands of people paid tribute to John and his family last week at a Thursday night viewing and Friday morning services. There were long lines both days and a standing room crowd for the services.

The Boyds have had a major impact on both sides of the bay – in Ocean City and on the Mainland. And the influence of Jack, a member of the South Jersey Basketball Hall of Fame, is even more far-reaching.

Their extended family is large and active. But there is a gaping hole in the structure. A young man who had already made a significant impact on the world in the short time he spent here, is gone. There are so many things he will never get the chance to do.

Those of us who knew John feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to experience his energy, his optimism and his camaraderie. He fought a hard battle for a year, fighting against the pain and the treatment, which sometimes brought more pain. But he continued his daily struggle just to make it to the next day.

John Boyd died the way he lived – competing.



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