Thomas L. Boyd, resident at Countryside Lakes in Port Orange, Florida, died peacefully in the early morning hours of January 10, 2015.

Tom was born in Carmi, Illinois, on February 4, 1924, to Lela and Loren Boyd. His older brother, James G. Boyd, had been a lifelong resident of the Carmi area. Tom graduated from Carmi High School in 1942, after which he was inducted into the U.S. Army.

After initially trying out for the new paratrooper units and finding out he would be assigned to a stateside training battalion, he volunteered for combat duty in Europe and was transferred to the 5th Infantry Division of the U.S. Third Army. He joined Company L, 10th Infantry Regiment, 5th Infantry Division, near Metz, France. He rose to the rank of Technical Sergeant and participated in actions in the Rhineland, Central Europe and Ardennes campaigns. He was awarded a European-African-Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon with three (3) Bronze Stars, American Theater Ribbon, Good Conduct Ribbon, World War II Victory Medal, and the Combat Infantryman badge. He was injured during the assault crossing of the Moselle River and voluntarily cut short his subsequent hospital stay to rejoin his comrades at the front. He was discharged from service in September 1945.

Tom married Imogene Jewell Hart then of Evansville, Indiana, on February 26, 1949. They eventually settled in Carmi, where Tom worked for the Carter Oil Company. He took a leave of absence from Carter Oil Company to re-enter the service in September 1950 during the Korean Conflict. He was discharged from service the second time in August 1951 with the rank of Sergeant First Class. During this service period he spent much of his time shooting for U.S. Army skeet/trap and pistol teams.

Upon his return to the USA, Tom was re-instated at Carter Oil Company and continued to work the oil and gas fields of Southern Illinois and Indiana. He would win numerous match trophies shooting as an Auxiliary Illinois State Policeman.

After Tom's retirement in the early 1980s from the exploration and production end of the petroleum industry he and Imogene retired to Port Orange, Florida. Imogene preceded Tom in death in 2011.

Tom and Imogene are survived by their children: Scott I. Boyd of Edinburg, Texas; Vickie Boyd Schroeder of Kathleen, Georgia; Dennis K. Boyd of Port Orange, Florida; and Teresa Boyd Wright of Katy, Texas. Tom also had five grandchildren, B. Taylor Coe of Mesa, Arizona; Alex L. Coe of Port Orange, Florida; Natalie Boyd Kelly of Austin, Texas; and Tom A. Boyd & Bianca S. Boyd of Edinburg, Texas, as well as, two great-grandchildren, Jude and Dashiell Kelly of Austin, Texas.

Condolences may be shared with the family through this online guestbook.