Alexander Boyd ’47

“Wojie” died Feb. 19, 2013, at his home in Wickenburg, Ariz. He and his second wife, Jane, bought the Brown Bear Ranch in the late 1970s, and for them it was a very special place.

After graduating from Woodberry Forest School, Wojie matriculated at Princeton in July 1943 but shortly thereafter joined the American Field Service in Burma. He returned to Princeton, where he earned an associate’s degree in June 1947. After graduation he lived and worked in Harrisburg, Pa., as a commercial real-estate developer and as chairman of Union Deposit Corp. in Harrisburg.

Known for his love of nature, Wojie donated 1,000 acres to the state that is now known as Boyd Big Tree Preserve. In Wickenburg he continued his philanthropic work. Along with his wife he was instrumental in the expansion of Wickenburg Community Hospital, and in 2010 Wojie and Jane were presented the Henry Award for meritorious service in Wickenburg. His donations were always made quietly — never a big splash.

An avid golfer, Wojie was three-time club champion at the Los Caballeros Golf Club. His first wife, Anna Emery, died in 1977, and he married Jane Starke in 1978. She survives Wojie as does his daughter, Susanna Bohmann, son Jackson, and two grand-children.