Charles Louis Boyce (1917 - 2009)

Born 16 Feb 1917 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States

Husband of Ruth (Sweetow) Boyce — married 1966 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States

Died 24 Jun 2009 at age 92 in Gainesville, Alachua, Florida, United States

Biography

Born 16 FEB 1917. Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States. ^[1]

Occupation: Chemist. FROM 1952 TO 1973. ^[1] Project engineer. FROM 1952 TO 1973. ^[1] Material engineer. FROM 1974 TO 1982. ^[1]

Residence FROM 1982 TO 2008. Las Cruces, Dona Ana, New Mexico, United States. ^[1] FROM 2008 TO 2009. Gainesville, Alachua, Florida, United States. ^[1]

Retirement: 1982 ^[1]

Died 24 JUN 2009. Gainesville, Alachua, Florida, United States. ^[1]

Buried Forest Home Cemetery, Forest Park, Cook, Illinois, United States. ^[1]

Note: 2009: Charles Louis Boyce, formerly of Las Cruces, died June 24, 2009, at Harbor Chase Assisted Living in Gainesville, Fla. He was born Feb. 16, 1917, in Chicago, Ill. He married Eleanor A. Plouff in Springfield, Mass., in 1944 and divorced in 1963. He married Ruth Spellburg, nee Sweetow, in Chicago in 1966. After graduating cum laude with a bachelor of science degree from Colorado College in 1939, he received a graduate assistantship to Washington University in St. Louis and was awarded a master of science in chemistry in 1941. During World War II, he worked for the Shawinigan Resin Division of Monsanto in Springfield, Mass., where he obtained a basic patent and spin-off patents that were used on classified projects. In 1952, he joined Paisley Products Co. in Chicago as a chemist and project engineer. In 1969, he was transferred to company headquarters in Dover, Del. In 1974, he resigned and joined ILC Dover, Inc. as material engineer for the Shuttle Space Suit Development Program. The suit had to have more flexibility and a longer working life than the Apollo suit previously made by the company. In 1982, he was cited by NASA for his team's accomplishments. While in Dover, Chuck and Ruth were active in the production of Gilbert and Sullivan operettas and enjoyed time spent at their beach house in Bowers Beach, Del. Upon retirement in 1982, they moved to Las Cruces, N.M., and became involved in community service. Chuck spoke at schools, clubs and civic organizations about space and space suits. He tutored elementary and junior high students that were having math and reading difficulties. He was chairman of the Kamp Kiwanis Project which affords camping experiences for handicapped children. In 1988, he received the Volunteer of the Year award from the Retired Senior Volunteer Program and was inducted into the Palmer High School Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colo. Additionally, he wrote fine arts and music reviews for the Las Cruces Sun-News and later became a board member of the Las Cruces Symphony Association. He was a member of the Lamba Chi Alpha fraternity, Kiwanis International, Colorado Springs High School Hall of Fame, American Chemical Society and the Delta Epsilon Scientific Society. Shortly after his 91st birthday, when his health began to fail, he moved to Gainesville, Fla. Chuck was an avid photographer, lover of classical music and, as a youth, greatly enjoyed trout fishing in the cool, clear streams near his boyhood home in Colorado Springs. His charming nature, infectious wit, sagacious manner and capacity to offer sage advice, born of a curious intellect and a deep wisdom acquired over a long life, will be sorely missed by those who called him father, grandfather, brother and friend. He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles William and Alma Henrietta Alvina Boyce, nee Debus; his brother, Raymond W. Boyce; wife, Ruth Boyce; and stepson, Allen Spellburg. He is survived by his sisters-in-law, Carol Osher (Gene) and Elaine Wilson; sons, Charles R. Boyce (Patti), of Chatham, Ill., Richard A. Boyce (Laurie), of Gainesville, Fla., and Robert W. Boyce (Seong), of New Castle, Del., stepdaughter, Susan D. Rothbaum (Martin) West Hartford, Conn.;. grandchildren, Katherine E. Boyce, of Joliet, Ill., Charles J. Boyce (Rachel), of Chatham, Ill., Marco K. Boyce, of Wilmington, Del., Alexander K. Boyce (Emma), of Cambridge, England;. step-grandchildren, Ellen L. Powell (Jeffrey), of Greenburg, N.Y., Sharon R. Rothbaum, of West Hartford, Conn., Deborah A. Rothbaum, of West Hartford, Conn., R. Kelly Barrymore (Natalie), Erin Cameruci (Marc);. and step-great-grandchildren Abagail, Ryan, Sarah, Ella. Interment will be in the Forest Home Cemetery in Forest Park, Ill. ^[1]

Marriage Husband Charles Louis Boyce. Wife Eleanor A. .... Marriage 1944 ^[2] Divorce: 1963 ^[3]

Husband Charles Louis Boyce. Wife Ruth Sweetow. Marriage 1966 Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States. ^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9} Source: S4604
2. ↑ Source: S4604
3. ↑ Source: S4604
4. ↑ Source: S4604

• Source: S4604 Las Cruces Sun-News, Las Cruces, NM, July 6, 2009 (www.legacy.com)