John Thomas Boyd

Hi, my name is Keli Smith. My brother passed away on August 30, 2023. He was loved by many. As a child, John, spent a long time at his Aunt Eva's farm in Burnt Chimney, VA. He loved playing with toys that she had placed in a small cast iron kettle. He loved picking grapes, petting the cows, and picking berries for ice cream making. As he grew up, we realized that he had a brilliant mind. He was accepted at MIT, where he briefly attended.

He was always very artistic. He was a wonderful musician. As a child he liked to make up songs and play them on the autoharp. As he matured, he taught himself to play guitar. He loved to write songs and sing them to his mother . He also could play piano, by ear. He could play a song after the first time that he heard it!

A few years ago he had a dream that he was to use a rake and make drawings in the sand. He would sketch out the design on paper and then use mathematics to enlarge his drawings on the beaches of south Florida....mostly Ft. Myers Beach and Sanibel Island. He was known around the world as BOYD Sand Artist.

He got sick a couple of years ago and could not stand to draw his designs any longer. He was always hoping that he would get better, but his health declined quite quickly. Since John worked on his own, he has no employer benefits. The family is asking for help with his cremation and services. Thank you for anything that you can give.