Richard D. "Dick" Boyd (1936-2020)

Jul 29, 2020

Richard Dexter "Dick" Boyd, son of Frank W. "Bus" and Mary Folwell (Dexter) Boyd, was born December 12, 1936, in Concordia, Kansas, and passed away at 12 noon on June 25, 2020, at the Kearney Regional Medical Center in Kearney, Nebraska, at the age of 83.

Boyd grew up in Mankato, Kansas, where his family owned and published the Jewell County Record. He graduated from Mankato High School with the Class of 1955 and was then offered a full-ride scholarship to play football for Kansas State University. While at K-State, Dick was a two-year letterman in football and was voted the Most Inspirational Player by his football teammates. He was also a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity and Army ROTC.

He graduated with a degree in technical journalism in 1959. Following his graduation, Boyd married the love of his life, Mary Beth Brooks, on August 15, 1959, in Concordia. Dick entered the U.S. Army as a 2nd Lieutenant and was stationed at numerous bases, including Fayetteville, North Carolina; Baltimore, Maryland; and Columbus, Georgia.

During that time, Boyd also realized his dream of coaching football. As head coach, Boyd led the football team to a co-championship of the Fort Bragg League in 1961. Following his discharge in 1962, Dick and Mary Beth moved to Phillipsburg, Kansas, where he worked for eight years at the Phillips County Review, the newspaper published by his uncle, McDill "Huck" Boyd.

During his time employed at the Review, Dick served as advertising manager, reporter and photographer. Phillipsburg is also where Dick and Mary Beth started their family with the addition of their two children, Larry and Becky.

In 1970, Dick and Mary Beth purchased the Norton Daily Telegram and Wilson-Carter Printers Inc. making their home in Norton, Kansas.

Together, they were owners and publishers of the Telegram until they sold the newspaper in 2002. Dick continued as sportswriter, proofreader and performed other duties for another 18 years at the Norton Telegram.

Dick was an active member of the Norton First United Methodist Church and the Harmonson-Redd American Legion Post #63. He was president of the Norton Area Chamber of Commerce in 1974 and served on the Valley Hope Association board of directors from 1970-1976.

Dick was chosen to be the annual chapter farmer for the Norton Future Farmers of America. He was a member of the Norton Lion's Club for over 50 years and was also a past member of the Norton Rotary Club. Dick was honored as the Tommy Davidson Blue Jay Booster of the year in 2001 and was the recipient of the Kansas State High School Activities Association Oscar Stauffer Award for Sports Writing in 2006.

The Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association selected Dick as Media Person of the Year in 1992, 2000 and 2009. In 2006, Dick was president of the Native Sons and Daughters of Kansas after having served on the board of officers.

Dick served his alma mater in another capacity after he was elected to the Kansas State Alumni Association board of directors. Dick's interest in physical fitness led to him participating in the annual Biking Across Kansas event for 12 straight summers. The enthusiasm he demonstrated for this “summer camp on wheels,” as he called it, was noticed, as in 1990 he was the BAK Spirit Award winner, being selected from among the hundreds of bicyclists who made the border-to-border trek.

For many years, Dick was a member of the selection committee for the Kansas Shrine Bowl All-Star Football Game. The Kansas Sports Hall of Fame was very important to Dick as he not only voted to select those who would be inducted, but he aggressively urged the Kansas Legislature to pass legislation to fund the continuation of its existence.

During his time with the Telegram, a number of organizations presented him with awards of appreciation for his support of their efforts. Among those would be the Norton County Conservation District, Norton County 4-H clubs, the Norton Fire Department, U.S. Jaycees, the Norton Future Farmers of America, USD 211, the Norton Area Chamber of Commerce, the Boot Hill All-Star Basketball Classic and the Dane G. Hansen Memorial Museum Association.

Near the end of his life, Dick, along with his wife, Mary Beth, were touched and honored to be the 2020 recipients of the Huck Boyd Award for Community Journalism.

Survivors include: his loving wife, Mary Beth Boyd, of their home in Norton; his son, Lawrence Alexander (Larry) Boyd, Colorado Springs, Colorado; his daughter, Rebecca Anne "Becky" Allen, London, England; his granddaughter, Emily Iris Allen, London; one sister, Elizabeth Boyd James, Bethesda, Maryland; one brother-in-law, Jim Logback, Hill City, Kansas; one sister-in-law, Diane Boyd, Hill City; two nephews and six nieces; other relatives and many friends.

Dick was preceded in death by his parents, his parents-in-law, Lawrence and Anita Brooks, one sister, Frances (Boyd) Logback, and one brother, Robert A. "Bob" Boyd.

Private family services were held Friday, July 3, 2020, at First United Methodist Church in Norton.