Kenneth Raymond Boyd, native San Franciscan, died Thursday, 25th of February, 1998 at home, in Livermore, California. At his side was his wife of 32 years, Constance Marie Tourny Boyd. Kenneth was born to Ruth Dorothy Boyd and Raymond John Boyd on December 1, 1913. The only child of a hardware clerk and a furniture salesman, Ken was a participant in Dr. Terman's Study of the Gifted, at Stanford University. He passed up the opportunity to attend Stanford at the young age of 14 in favor of attending school with his peers. Ken graduated from Galileo High School in San Francisco. Although he attended Teacher's College, he never completed a degree. He worked for a short while as a longshoreman on the docks of San Francisco. He began his career in Water Utilities as a ditch digger with the Crystal Springs Water Company. Crystal Springs was absorbed into the San Francisco Water Department. During World War II it was as an employee of the SFWD that Ken took his wife, Geraldine O'Connell Boyd, and young children, Norman Francis and Lisbeth Ann to live at the powerhouse camp at Hetch-Hechty. By 1944 he had returned to San Francisco and continued to work for the San Francisco Water Department. Involved with the Plumbers and Pipefitters Union Local No. 38, Ken had been a union negotiator and served 13 years as president.While President of the Plumbers Union, Ken was responsible for bringing to reality the retirement community for its members, in Clear Lake, California, Konochti Harbor Inn. Ken also had been active in the American Waterworks Association, particularly the California Nevada Section. Ken comuted to his job in San Francisco for many years, from his home in San Anselmo, moving back to the City just a few years before he retired as General Manager of the SFWD in 1978. After his retirement, he moved to Livermore and became active in SIRS. Ken remained active with AMWA until just a few years ago. Ken enjoyed reading history, was a great storyteller, and a very effective speaker. In his younger years, his first wife and he were members of an international folk dancing club that used to travel and perform in the San Francisco Bay Area. Ken had also enjoyed fishing and had shared this acivity with his son.

Ken leaves behind, his wife, Constance Marie Tourny Boyd of Livermore; his son, Norman Francis Boyd of Novato; and two daughters, Roberta Ruth Boyd of Livermore and Lauren Mary Boyd Beebe of Novato; a son-in-law, Charles Robert Beebe of Rohnert Park, a former brother-in-law, George Kevin ("Tom") O'Connell and his wife, Theresa, of San Francisco; and a sister-in-law, Adrienne Antonini of Livermore, all of California. Kenneth will be missed by his eight Grandchildren: Maribeth O'Loughlin Cook and her husband Joe of Grants Pass, Oregon; Edward Malone Johnston, of Toledo, Oregon; Karen Lee Wonacott and her husband Scott, Kenneth Kevin Johnston, Heather Francis Boyd of Milwaukie, Oregon; Judith Shawn McHenry of Arizona; David Brian McHenry of San Jose, California and Cheyenne Rosemary Zamoryn Rama of Novato, California. He also leaves 4 great-grandchildren: Krystal Lynn Pronske and Noel Wonacott of Milwaukie, Oregon; and Joseph Joel and Kevin Cook of Grants Pass, Oregon. Kenneth was preceded in death by his former wife of 32 years, Geraldine Francis O'Connell Boyd, October 24th 1988, by his eldest daughter, Lisbeth Ann O'Loughlin McHenry, February 9, 1989 and by his step daughter Marie Louise Wulff Holland, in July 1992. Per his wishes, there will be no funeral services.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is the text I supplied to the Marin Independent Journal
and the Novato Advance in order for them to prepare an obituary for my father.

It also appeared as a "Flower o' the Forest" in the Dean Road, quarterly publication of the House of Boyd Society.

I am interested in hearing from any relatives.

Lauren Boyd