MOUNT VERNON — John W. Boyce, 67, of Watson Road, Mount Vernon, passed away Monday, Nov. 16, 2009, at The Ohio State University Hospital in Columbus.
Lt. Col. John W. Boyce (USAF retired) was born and raised in Shelby. He graduated from Shelby High School in 1959 and from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English on Dec. 20, 1963. Upon receiving his diploma, he was commissioned through OSU’s Reserve Officer Training Corps program as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force. John spent 11 1/2 years on active duty with the Air Force before transferring to full-time status with the Air National Guard on Aug. 1, 1975. He was in the 181st Tactical Fighter Group at Terre Haute, Ind., until January 1978, when he transferred to the 121st Tactical Fighter Wing at Rickenbacker Air Force Base south of Columbus. John retired from the USAF and ANG on Dec. 2, 1996. John served just under 33 full years as an intelligence officer, with varied assignments in the many facets of the Intelligence career field. Although the vast majority of his career was spent as an air intelligence officer with tactical fighter units in Okinawa, Arizona, Indiana and Ohio, he had other assignments as well. Some of those assignments were as an intelligence officer for the 313th Air Division Headquarters in Okinawa, an instructor at the Armed Forces Air Intelligence Training Center in Denver, Colo., the intelligence officer with the First Republic of Korea Army’s Direct Air Support Center in South Korea, the Chief of the Defense Analysis Division — Electronics Branch at Hq Fifth Air Force in Japan, a Senior Intelligence duty officer with Task Force Alpha in Thailand, and the Air Force Liaison Officer to the U.S. Army Pacific Intelligence School in Okinawa. In 1973, John served as a debriefing officer at March Air Force Base Hospital, Riverside, Calif., during Operation Homecoming for the returning Vietnam POWs. Major awards and decorations earned by John during his career include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Bronze Star Medal, three Air Force Commendation Medals, a U.S. Army Commendation Medal and two Presidential Unit Citations. In 1981 and 1983, John was recognized as the Tactical Air Command’s Outstanding Unit Intelligence Officer of the Year.
In November 1999, about three years after his retirement, John, and his family moved from Columbus to their home south of Brandon. John joined the staff of the Mount Vernon News in March 2000, and was the Knox County government reporter.
He is survived by his wife, Corina (Yap) Boyce; a son, Eric (Beverly) Boyce of Denver, Colo.; four daughters, Lisa Boyce of Denver, Colo., and Caycee Boyce, Ceejay Boyce and Codee Boyce, all of Mount Vernon; and a brother, Robert (Elizabeth) Boyce of West Linn, Ore.
John was preceded in death by his parents, Arthur and Leota (Pittenger) Boyce.
Friends may call Friday, Nov. 20, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Dowds-Snyder Funeral Home in Mount Vernon. A service will be held on Saturday at the Faith Lutheran Church in Mount Vernon beginning at 10:30 a.m. A graveside service will follow at Franklin Cemetery in Richland County at 1 p.m.
The Dowds-Snyder Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of John W. Boyce.
Memorial contributions can be made to Faith Lutheran Church, 170 Mansfield Ave., Mount Vernon, OH 43050. To send a condolence to the family online visit wwww.snyderfuneralhomes.com.
