Obituary of Thyra Jean (Currey) Boyd

Thyra Jean (Currey) Boyd took her pioneering spirit with her to her next adventure in the early morning of March 16. Emulating her Eastern Oregon ancestors, she lived three months into her 100th year.

A proud third-generation Oregonian, she was born December 18, 1923 in La Grande to Albert and Genevieve Currey. Her mother was part of the family that founded the McClaran Ranch outside of Enterprise. Her itinerant childhood included stops in Portland, Las Vegas, Angel Island, Newport, Agate Beach, Tillamook, Elgin and Enterprise before returning to La Grande to graduate. She then worked as a telephone operator until she attended Willamette University, where she met Stanley Boyd. After graduating, they married and settled in Portland. She really wanted a large family and so they had five children in seven years from 1948 to 1955. In 1965 the family moved to Eugene, where Stan continued to practice Medicine with the River Road Medical Group.

Thyra enjoyed tennis and golf and, taking Stan’s lead, she ‘dabbled’ in the theater. She and Stan were life members at the Very Little Theater, where she worked both on stage and back stage on many productions, while keeping everyone happy with her famous cookies. It was there that she met and became fast friends with Lydia Lord as they traveled the world and shared life’s challenges together. It was at Lydia’s home that she spent her last years. She continued golfing and was active in women’s league play into her mid-nineties.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 69 years, Stan; and her youngest son, Mark. She is survived by her children Bruce (Susan), Keith, Kirk (Sam), Katie (Bob); 27 grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.

Thyra was a woman of remarkable grace and strength whose motto for a long life was ‘keep moving and keep love in your heart’. She did that and more as our matriarch and hero, radiating love and joy. That love and joy got reflected back to her by her family and friends as she went out strong on her terms and in her time. Godspeed T.J., Thyra, Mom, Grandma, Great-Grandma.

A Celebration of Life on will be held on Sunday, May 14th at 2:00 at the Community Center at Washington Park.