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"Bruce Boyd will be remembered as a self-taught naturalist whose work on butterflies of the Spring Mountains spurred the effort to protect habitat for the rare Mount Charleston blue butterfly, now an endangered species." (from obituary)
When I was searching for Bruce and learned of his work with butterflies through his Facebook page, I was so hoping he'd come to the Reunion as I, too, love butterflies, and wanted to talk to him. I was so sad to hear such a beautiful soul had passed. His was a life well-lived.
Ginger (Albee) Storey-Welch https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/local-nevada/bruce-boyd-naturalist-and-butterfly-expert-dies-at-64/
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Donald R. Dawson
Ginger, thanks for finding this. Bruce lived around the corner from me and we were good friends in elementary and jr. high schools. Kind of went our different ways in high school. In our early years we would chase butterflies all over Costa Mesa. He was a natural, we would collect butterflies and moths and we both had pretty extensive collections. Glad to hear he was able to pursue his passion. I'm going to try to reach out to his son. Thanks again.
Michael Woodard
Donald: Thanks for sharing about your time with Bruce. I'm having a vision of you guys cruising Costa Mesa's parks and gardens and your neighborhood. Wonder if you ever got to the little garden within the fairgrounds across from the high school? I used to go there to get some peace and quiet, watch the birds. We were lucky to have bits of nature and green space growing up. There was an apricot orchard between St. John the Baptist church and Mesa Del Mar where we guys would have fights with very ripe apricots; bet my brother Terry can still remember what it feels like to take a squishy one. Mike Woodard
Barton W. Hinesly
Thanks Don, Bruce, Don, Mark Goodman, and myself were buddies in grammar school. I wasn't much of a people person so, went my seperate way when Jr. high started but, in my forties wished I still had at least minimum contact with them. I did do a little butterfly catching with Bruce and maybe that's why I later took up birding. As a ecologist it does me wonders to hear he achieved something in that field. The last time I talked to him was 1976. He didn't seem happy, he was at that time collecting collectables in the desert for resale. My fondest memory of him was on a Saterday morming in 1962: Mark Goodman had come over to my place and he wanted to play Monopoly so, we did. An hour later Bruce came over and quietly sat down on the floor to watch. Mark was already ahead enough that I new he would win but after about 10 minutew of watching Bruce reached in with both hands and desrtoyed the game. I was stunned but, Mark was in a rage! I thought Mark is going to beat the crap out of him. Forty minutes later after no fight we were outside playing to geather having a good time.
Ginger Albee (Storey-Welch)
I was so sad when I discovered Bruce would not be at our reunion. As a fellow nature lover, he felt like a kindred spirit, and I very much wanted to talk to him about his work protecting a rare butterfly. It's a little hard to see, but I am in the middle, and I am wearing my butterfly necklace to the reunion in honor of Bruce----a local artist takes any dead monarchs she finds and turns them into lovely jewelry, and this is a favorite of mine. Missing you, Bruce.