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Hazen Carl Boyd Jr. (1931-2020) of Rowley, passed away in his sleep on Tuesday, December 22, 2020 at Country Center for Health and Rehabilitation in Newburyport, MA. There will be no calling hours and a private graveside service is scheduled to take place in January, 2021. He is survived by his wife Marcella A. Boyd (Shumway), daughters Amy Byron (David) of Rowley, MA., Alice Dysert (Timothy) of Torrejon de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain, and son Robert Boyd (Laura) of Atkinson, NH., nine grandchildren: Jeremiah (Stephanie) Byron, Jennifer McComb (Stephen), Stephen Dysert, Philip Dysert (Katelyn), Nicolas Dysert, Lydia Dysert, Kaitlyn Boyd, Kristen Boyd, Nathan Boyd, and three great-grandchildren: Hazen Byron, Titus McComb, and Will McComb. In lieu of flowers, those who wish may make memorial contributions to First Baptist Church of Rowley, the Rowley Council on Aging, or to The Alzheimer’s Association for Alzheimer’s research, 309 Waverley Oaks Road, Waltham, MA 02452.
Hazen was born December 6, 1931, the only child of Hazen C Boyd Sr. and Lovilla V. Boyd (Baxter) and grew up in the family home on Boardman Street in Newburyport. He graduated from Newburyport high school in the class of 1949 where he made some lifelong friends. After a semester each at MIT and Bates College, Hazen enlisted in the US Navy serving five years during the Korean Conflict. He spent 42 months as Radioman 2nd Class aboard the destroyer USS William C Lawe, traveling to 22 countries and islands in Europe, South America, Canada, the Mediterranean, Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Caribbean isles, and Panama Canal. In addition to his duties as Radioman he had charge of teaching math and electronics to those sailors preparing for their petty officer exams. Those on his ship did an outstanding job on their exams. Hazen was proud to have served in the Navy, marching in the town Memorial Day parade for many years in his uniform. For the last decade, Hazen was rarely seen in public without his USS Lawe cap that had the emblem of his ship. In 2017 Hazen ́s service was recognized by Korea with the Ambassador for Peace medal.
Following his honorable discharge, he studied at U. Mass Amherst graduating with a BS in Botany in 1958 and a Master of Education in 1959. He met his future wife at U. Mass and they were married in Deerfield, MA on May 31, 1958 moving to Rowley in 1961.
Hazen began his teaching career teaching Algebra 2 and Physics at Royalston Regional HS, Athol, MA for a year and a half. For 33 years he taught Math at Manchester Jr/Sr High School, Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA retiring in 1994. In addition to math classes he also taught classes in Technical Drawing, Electricity, Social Studies, Computer Science and Earth Science as needed and was the Audio Visual Director for 16 years. Over the years many Rowley parents sought out his help to privately tutor their teens in Math. He applied the Golden Rule (Do unto others as you would have them do unto you) in his life and work, showing both students and coworkers sincere respect and personal interest.
Upon retiring he went back to school. He attended weekly classes at the Heritage Baptist Institute in Easthampton, MA. He also studied via correspondence courses and received his diploma from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago in 1999. He had a great love for preaching Gods Word and did so many times during his early retirement years.
Over the years Hazen held all the leadership positions in the Newburyport Clipper City Toastmaster’s Club. He was Area Governor for four other Toastmaster’s clubs in Northeast Essex County and won multiple awards at the district level, including one for his 1993 humorous speech, and in 2016 was honored with a lifetime club award. Hazen was known for his dry sense of humor which made his teaching, preaching and everyday conversation so enjoyable. He served on the Board of Trustees for Camp Northfield, Northfield MA for more than 10 yrs and the Rowley library board of trustees. The Boyds were also longtime members of the Rowley Historical Society serving in leadership positions over the years.
Hazen loved photography from the time he received his first camera as a boy. He documented his travels in the navy and his family and friends through hundreds of rolls of film and slides over the years. In the 1970s and 80s he worked as a weekend news photographer for the Newburyport Daily News and did summer photography for the 4-H Camp Leslie in Georgetown, MA along with his son, Robert. He set up a darkroom at home and taught all three of his children to develop and print photos and passed on his talent and interest in photography to his son and grandson who both trained as professional photographers.
Hazen was known as a kind, gentle, soft-spoken, happy man. He was given a Gideon New Testament as a high school senior promising the man that he would read it. He read it while in the Navy, and in 1955 came to understand what it truly meant to be a Christian through the preaching of God’s Word at First Baptist Church of Rowley. Once he accepted Christ as his personal Savior, he became involved in the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at U Mass Amherst where he made many lifelong friendships and met his future bride, Marcie. Their marriage and family were founded on their shared faith in Jesus Christ and their desire to live in obedience to the Bible. Hazen desired to point others to Jesus and was used greatly over the years to help many individuals grow in their understanding of the Bible and their faith in Jesus. He helped with summer Vacation Bible School and more recently helped with the after school Joy Club for children at the First Baptist Church. He and his close friend Charlie Elwell conducted services and Bible studies for the residents at Seaview nursing home in Rowley for several years. He was a deacon for many years at Linebrook Baptist Church in Ipswich, MA and later at First Baptist Church of Rowley, preaching from time to time when the need arose. He researched the great preacher George Whitfield, reenacting and preaching Whitfield’s words to a new generation. His Bible was well worn with many handwritten notes in the margin from decades of daily personal study which he then went on to live out practically in his daily life. His son-in-law calls Hazen one of the most godly men he has ever met, a sentiment that many would agree with. It is certain that on that morning of December 22, Hazen became absent from his body but present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8) and surely heard his Lord greet him with “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21).
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