Earl C. Boyd

Earl C. Boyd, 88, a longtime resident of Bellevue, died unexpectedly on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Orchard Grove Assisted Living, Bellevue, where he was enjoying making brand new friends.

He was born Oct. 18, 1936, at home in McKeesport, Pa., the son of Howard Paul and Dorothy Ellen (Fallquist) Boyd. He and his family resided in Pennsylvania until moving to the Cleveland area when he was 13. He graduated in 1954 from Willoughby Union High School, Willoughby, Ohio, the fourth Ohio high school he attended in four years.

After graduation, Earl attended The Ohio State University for one year, where he resided in the renowned “Horseshoe” which, at that time, was also a dormitory; he remained a lifelong Buckeyes’ fan. Despite having spent his early years in Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh, he was a dedicated fan of the Cleveland Browns and Indians (Guardians) and, as a young man, often attended games of both teams at their original Lake Erie stadiums.

In 1955, Earl enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was very proud of his four years of service stationed at Imperial Beach, Calif. During his military service, he served as a Sonar Operator, earning the rank of SOA3 and flying in helicopters off the aircraft carriers USS Philippine Sea and USS Kearsarge. On one of his flights off the California shore, he located the United States’ first atomic submarine, the USS Nautilus, which was submerged and not known to be participating in the exercises.

He served two tours of duty to the Far East, including operations in Hawaii, Philippines, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Okinawa. During those tours, he took part in search and recovery operations following the destruction of the Typhoon Vera, which struck Nagoya, Japan, in 1959, airlifting women and children to higher ground. In 1957, he was part of a search crew retrieving 19 of the 44 victims from the ocean crash of Pan American Airlines’ Clipper Romance of the Skies.

He met his first (as he called her) and only wife, Sally, in September 1960, when he invited her to go sailing on Lake Erie on the boat he owned at the Mentor Harbor Yachting Club. That chance meeting resulted in the pair getting married on Aug. 4, 1962; they divorced in 2002.

Following his honorable discharge in 1960, Earl was employed by the former Johnson Furnace Co., which was then located in Lakewood, Ohio. He moved to Bellevue in 1961 when the company purchased the former Ohio Cultivator/Cockshutt plant. It later became Johnson Corp. and Armstrong Air Conditioning. He spent the bulk of his career in the engineering and accounting departments of Armstrong, working there for 15 years.

He earned his business degree with a major in accounting from Terra Technical College in 1984, graduating cum laude. He was also subsequently employed by Webster Manufacturing, in Tiffin, and Crescent Manufacturing in Fremont, retiring from Ameriwood Corp. in Tiffin.

Following his retirement from industrial accounting, he spent several years working for First United Methodist Day Care, where children quickly began calling him “Papa Earl.” He also worked for the Bellevue Recreation Department, and for the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau, completing three rounds of surveys. He was a 37-year member of Elks Lodge 1013, a charter member and president of the former Optimist Club, and belonged to the former Club Amer-Ital.

He was an active volunteer at The Willows, in Bellevue, where he served on its board of trustees, and also volunteered at the city’s Fish and Loaves Emergency Food Pantry. Earl had a great “green” thumb, and enjoyed gardening, especially growing tomatoes and green peppers. He was also a “foodie,” having never met a meal he didn’t like! He had a great sense of humor and often regaled friends and family with his stories and quick wit.

In his younger years, Earl enjoyed bowling, playing cards, and hanging out with his friends at the Elks. He liked to bake pies and cakes, go camping, enjoyed woodworking, bingo, and jigsaw puzzles, and always cheered on The Ohio State Buckeyes, Cleveland Indians (Guardians) and Browns. He most especially loved watching his grandchildren, particularly when they were playing sports at all levels. He was most proud of his ability to help people.

He is survived by three children, Deborah (Danny) Smith, Bellevue, Suzanne (Scott) Noftz, Clyde, and Gregory (Tammy) Boyd, Jacksonville, Fla.; six grandchildren, Jacob and Benjamin Smith, Adam and Kari Noftz, and Sydney and Logan Boyd; two brothers, Glen Boyd and Kim (Lisa) Boyd, both of Hickory, N.C.; sister-in-law, Margaret Boyd, Biloxi, MS; numerous nieces and nephews, and his former wife, Sally Boyd, Bellevue.

Earl was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Allan and Dennis; and a sister-in-law, Laura Boyd.

Friends will be received at the Foos and Foos Funeral Home, 151 Yorkshire Boulevard, on Friday, Nov. 22), 3-7 p.m., followed by funeral and military services at 7 p.m, with the Rev. Justin Jump, pastor of First Church of Bellevue, officiating. Burial will follow at a later date in Bellevue Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Bellevue Redmen Athletic Boosters, 200 Oakland Ave., Bellevue, OH 44811; or to the Fallen Soldiers Foundation, in care of Firelands Federal Credit Union, P.O. Box 8005, Bellevue, OH 44811.

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