Donald Christian Boyer passed away peacefully on Wednesday, July 17, 2024 at 7:24 am at Brookdale Senior Living in Greenville, Ohio. Don was born in Janesville, Wisconsin on February 27, 1935, the only son of Ernest and Elsie (Nelson) Boyer. Don was a Christian husband, father, and lifelong athlete into his late 80’s. Family was important. He regularly visited relatives all over the country.
Growing up, Don attended 14 different schools in California, Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan due to his father’s engineering career. He managed to play clarinet, basketball, football, and serve as drum major while graduating with high honors. He then attended Purdue University in 1954 and subsequently received a full Navy scholarship transferring him to the Ohio State University where he studied mechanical engineering. He spent summers on Navy ships, except for 1 year at Flight School in Corpus Christi. At OSU he met Janet Lois Coate, from Celina, Ohio. Don, a proud lifetime OSU alumni, always said that Ohioans are the nicest people in the country. After graduation, they married on March 25th 1959, and moved to Charleston, South Carolina for Navy duty.
Don worked on the Minesweeper USS Ability for over 3 years as a Lieutenant JG USN with tours of duty during the Cuban Missile Crisis, Alan Shepard Space Launch Recovery, and the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and East Coast.
After serving honorably as a naval officer, Don and Jan moved in 1962 to Flint, Michigan where he began working for General Motors. He started raising 3 children and participated in teaching, singing, and playing basketball in Salem Lutheran Church. During this time Don obtained his MBA at the University of Michigan. At GM he was a Master Mechanic, eventually supervising the team of engineers that developed and managed the long-lived production of the 3800 series V6 3.8-liter engines. He continued as Assistant Superintendent for Buick, Olds, and Pontiac engines and transmissions.
In 1973 the family moved to a 10-acre property in Swartz Creek, Michigan where Don instilled work ethics and skills by helping his kids build an inground pool, pole barn, and care for animals, including horses. They attended Swartz Creek United Methodist Church, where Don continued choir and softball, adding monthly pasty baking, church camp and various leadership roles. In 1999, after a GM career spanning 37 years, Don and Jan retired and followed their 3 grown children to Ohio. They joined the First Presbyterian Church in Greenville, where they were Stephan Ministry leaders, sang, taught Sunday school and Bible studies, and established an annual community Thanksgiving Dinner that continued for over 10 years. Don served as an elder, helped with building repairs, and helped Jan with her many hobbies. They enjoyed family picnics, group birthday parties, Canadian fishing trips, and playing cards with family, especially at the Coffee Pot. They made several overseas voyages but their greatest joy was being an integral part of their grandchildren’s lives by attending events, hosting family gatherings, and teaching them table manners, especially Alex who was with them after school.
After his wife died unexpectedly, he married Beverly Shively in 2017 and later moved with her to Brookdale Senior Living in 2022.
Don is preceded in death by his parents, infant sister, wife Janet, and daughter-in-law Lucinda (Bubb) Boyer. He is survived by his wife Beverly (Shively) Boyer; children Scott (Katrina) Boyer of Troy, Beth (John) Vehre and Paul Boyer of Greenville; grandchildren James (Stephanie) Boyer of Troy, Daniel (Erika) Boyer of Vandalia, and Alexander Vehre of Ames, Iowa (all three are engineers!), and 6 great-grandchildren.
The funeral will be held at the First Presbyterian Church on August 1st at 2:00 PM, with visitation prior at 1:00 PM. Arrangements are being handled by Zechar-Bailey Funeral Home. Memorial contributions may be made to First Presbyterian Endowment Fund. Post condolences to www.zecharbailey.com
