Herbert Boothroyd

Herbert “Herb” Boothroyd, age 96, of Gainesville Florida and previously Weston Massachusetts passed away Tuesday, November 11, 2025.

Herb grew up in Mason City Iowa. He served a post-graduation year in Tokyo Japan creating maps for the U.S. Army during post-WWII reconstruction. He earned a BA in Mathematics with honors in 1952 and Masters in 1953 from the University of Michigan. He was a member of Theta Delta Chi fraternity and Phi Beta Kappa.

After graduation, he became an Actuary (FSA). He built his career at New England Mutual Life Insurance Company in Boston Massachusetts where he met and married his wife Barbara in 1962. In 1977, he was appointed Senior President of Pension Operations and in 1983 he became Executive Vice President of Group Operations, President of New England General Life, and a member of the Board of Directors until his retirement.

A lifelong Wolverine, he was active in alumni affairs serving various roles until his appointment in 1991 to the President for the University of Michigan Club of greater Boston.

His love of travel started in the 1930s when he regularly explored the U.S. with his parents. In his lifetime he traveled to all 7 continents and more than 100 countries. He enjoyed combining his travels with his other passions: tailgating for Michigan Football, skiing with his wife and fraternity brothers, attending opera and classical music performances across the world, and hunting down ancestral records in England and Germany.

He took up skiing in his 20s and didn’t stop until he was 87, often skiing 30 days or more in a year. He took great pleasure in recording the number of runs he made each day. When our ski season was over he indulged in a summer ski trip to Argentina. A lifelong piano player, he enjoyed performances and supporting the arts. He served on the Board of Directors of the Handel and Haydn Society from 1984-1994 with then Artistic Director Christopher Hogwood.

He diligently pursued family history tracing his ancestry back in some lines more than 10 generations to medieval Europe. He was a member of Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) and the General Society of Colonial Wars. He wrote a biography on his Great-Great Grandfather Adam Nichols who served in the Revolutionary War and helped settle America west of the Appalachians. Herb was responsible for discovering his grave site and leading a dedication and burial marker by the SAR.

He supported and served on the board of The New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) in Boston for many years. His years of research will be donated to the NEHGS in 2026 to aid others in learning about their ancestors and the time period.

When he wasn’t working on one of his passions he could often be found playing the piano, sawing branches in the backyard, and enjoying classic films.

He is survived by his wife Barbara, daughter Diane, son John and his wife Annette, and his grandchildren Adam and Abby.