Alyce Blackburn Boyd was born in Albany, Georgia on January 16, 1918. Her parents were Alice Inman and George Lawton Blackburn. Alyce attended Shorter College, obtained her B.A. with honors from the University of Georgia, and obtained a M.E.D. with honors from the University of Florida. She taught or substituted in most grades and subjects in the schools of Florida, but most of her career was spent teaching English. Alyce encouraged her students to be the best that they could be. To motivate integrity, she stressed this quote written by Shakespeare: “To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou cans’t not then be false to any man.” Years later one of her greatest joys was having students call and send notes telling her how her life lessons had helped sustain them throughout their lives. In 1969 she assumed the position of Education Evaluation and Design Specialist with the Panhandle Area Education Cooperative. While doing consulting work in nine counties, she developed individualized learning modules later known as “prescriptive” teaching. Alyce served as the first female commissioner and mayor pro tem of Graceville, Florida. She served on the board of directors of All Florida Enterprises, Jacksonville, Florida and served as president of Blackburn’s Pecan Company continuing the legacy of her mother who shipped pecans from Georgia all over the nation. In 1940 Alyce married Albert Boyd of Jacksonville, Florida. They moved to Graceville, FL and spent joyous years actively involved with wonderful friends in the Panhandle. They had one daughter, Peggy Alyce. After Albert’s death in 1976, Alyce moved to Gainesville to be near their daughter, Peggy and her husband John Kirkpatrick. In Gainesville she enjoyed her retirement years serving her church and being an avid Gator fan who attended the games and cheered on the Gators into her late nineties. She was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church, ALERT, the Daylily Garden Circle, Alpha Delta Pi Sorority, Phi Kappa Phi, Delta Kappa Gamma and several bridge groups. At ninety years of age she was actively teaching bridge lessons. Alyce was preceded in death by her husband, Albert Boyd and grandson, Jay Kirkpatrick. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Peggy and John Kirkpatrick of Gainesville, grandchildren, Kenneth and Suzanne Kirkpatrick and Kaye Kirkpatrick, greatgrandchildren Kayla, Hannah Alyce, Austin, Preston, and Laura Kirkpatrick, nieces Jean Bower, Benita, and Cathy Boyd and nephews Dan Boyd and James Boyd, Jr., and Frances Kirkpatrick sister of John. We are especially grateful to Virginia Daugherty, Helen Wilson, and Todd Childs for the care and friendship they have shown Alyce through the years. Her greatest contribution was the love she showed her family and friends. All who knew her were blessed to have had her in their lives, but especially blessed were her family. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, May 5, 2015 at Trinity United Methodist Church 4000 NW 53rd Avenue Gainesville, FL 32653. Burial was held privately in Albany, GA. In lieu of flowers, contributions should be made to Trinity United Methodist Church.
