John H. Boyd ’42

John Hay Boyd died Jan. 20, 2009, in Fairfield, Conn., from complications of Parkinson’s disease.

Salty Boyd came to Princeton from the Oundle School in Northamptonshire, England. Although an American, he retained traces of his English schooling in speech and manner throughout his college career. At Princeton, he majored in modern languages, was captain of the rugby team, and joined Tiger Inn.

Shortly after graduation, Salty joined the Army’s field artillery. In March 1944 he was assigned to the Yale Language School for education in Chinese language. Ultimately he was stationed near Kunming, China, where he trained battalions of the Chinese Nationalist Army. When the war ended, he was shipped back to America and discharged as a captain.  

Starting in 1959, Salty served 26 years as a senior vice president of the Kennecott Corp., based in New York. The job entailed considerable time selling copper in Japan. Each summer, he enjoyed cruising his sailboat with his family along the New England coast. Throughout his life he remained the dignified, loyal, and sensitive individual he had been in college.  

Salty’s wife, Betty, predeceased him. To his sons, John and William, and their families, the class sends condolences.