John Brydell Boyd, 96, passed away peacefully on August 4, 2022. He was surrounded by his beloved family.
John was born in Lexington, Texas, on November 11, 1925, to Veronica (Vinnie) Simek Boyd and John William Boyd.
John graduated from Caldwell High School in 1943. While in High School, he played football for the Caldwell Hornets under Coaches Ox Darby and George Falls.
After graduation he received a recommendation by Senator Lyndon B. Johnson to attend the Merchant Marine Military Academy at Kings Point, New York. He graduated in the top ten percent of the class and was commissioned as an Ensign in the U.S. Naval Reserve.
His first Navy assignment was to active duty aboard the USS O’Brien DD725 Destroyer serving in the South Pacific Theater.
LaNette and John were married on April 3, 1947, at the Naval Chapel in San Diego, California. Prior to his discharge in July 1947, he participated in the 1946 “Operations Crossroads” around the Marshall Islands witnessing atomic bombs being exploded both above and below the ocean surface. His Destroyer Squadron, as a part of the Task Force, was within a 10-15 miles of ground zero. It was a spectacular sight. The Squadron cruised the area for weeks measuring radioactivity.
John became a member of the National Association of Atomic Veterans.
Little was known about the organization until recently because everyone involved were sworn to secrecy.
Upon John’s release from the Navy in 1947, he attended and graduated in 1950 from Texas Western College in El Paso, Texas, with a BS degree in Geology. TWC gained University status and was renamed the University of Texas at El Paso, “UTEP”. John began working on his Master’s Degree at the University of Texas.
In 1951, the Navy Department called him back into service during the Korean Conflict. He served aboard the USS Willard Keith DD775 Destroyer in the Gunnery Department. He served aboard the Keith until late 1953 and was then transferred to the Treasure Island Naval Base, San Francisco, California, as an instructor for the U.S. Naval Schools Command.
John was released from the Navy in 1954 with the rank of Lieutenant Commander.
While in San Francisco, California, John applied for a Geologist position with Standard Oil of California. He accepted a position with their office in Salt Lake City, Utah, and stayed there for 9 years.
John was transferred to Casper, Wyoming, and reassigned to the Engineering/ Production Department. While there we decided to purchase land in Burleson County Texas. We lived in Casper, Wyoming, for 5 years and John was then transferred to the Denver, Colorado, office for ten years and then in 1978 he was transferred to Midland, Texas, as Senior Petroleum Geologist for two years and he was then transferred to the Chevron Office in Houston, Texas. He was assigned to the Standard Oil of California Group working the huge Saudi Oil fields and went to Saudi Arabia many times. During the next 5 years the company acquired Gulf Oil Company and Texaco Oil Company and began offering early retirements.
John decided to accept the package and retired from Chevron Corporation in 1985 after 31 years of service.
John, being an outdoor person, enjoyed the geologic field work in the Rocky Mountains and adjacent areas from the Grand Canyon to the Canadian border and from the Dakotas and Nebraska westward through the Mohave Desert. He felt his career as a Petroleum Geologist was fulfilled when he was first assigned to the Engineering/Production Department until he retired.
John then began cattle ranching with a Registered Black Angus Herd, fulfilling his lifelong dream.
He was a life member of the VFW Post 4458 where he served as Commander and also Chaplin and many of the District offices. He received the William B. Moody Award from the Department of Texas. John also served as Commander of the American Legion Post 451 in Caldwell, Texas.
He is preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Elizabeth Fowler; brothers-in-law, Eugene Weafer and Harold Miller; sons-in-law, Larry Ficklin and Larry Baker; and great-grandson, Sawyer Davidson.
John is survived by his wife, LaNette, of 76 years; sister, Virginia Miller of Houston, Texas; three daughters, Pamela Hiller and husband, Leslie, of Caldwell, Texas, Lynda Ficklin of Chappell Hill, Texas, Johnette Boyd-Baker of Chappell Hill, Texas; five grandchildren, Keri Valdes and husband, Santiago, of Houston, Texas, Kimberly Davidson and husband, John, of Westlake, Texas, Nathan Ficklin of Littleton, Colorado, Lt. Colonel Daniel Ficklin and wife, Lindsay, of Salt Lake City, Utah, Michael Ficklin and wife, Amanda, of The Woodlands, Texas; two stepgrandsons, Chase Baker and wife, Hillary, of Hempstead, Texas, Shaun Baker and wife, Kristina, of Cypress, Texas. He had nine great-grandchildren; two stepgreat-grandsons; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
Express condolences at PhillipsandLuckey.com.
Phillips & Luckey Funeral Home
404 W. Buck St. Caldwell, Tx 77836 979-567-3232