It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Kenneth William Boyd, 85, who was a beloved son, husband, father, grandfather, and friend. He departed this life on June 5, 2025, of heart disease.
He is survived by his wife, Susan Boyd, of Kingman, and their daughters Cynthia (Kevin) O’Donnell and Valerie (Mike) Taylor and four beloved grandchildren: Deanna, Liam, Evan, and Derek. He is also survived by an extended family of cousins.
Kenneth (Ken) William Boyd, the only child of Frank and Beatrice (Ahlvers) Boyd, was born on November 4, 1939, in Kingman, Arizona. He often went by the nicknames of Ken or Kenny. He grew up in the small town of Peach Springs, Arizona, where his mom and dad operated the Peach Springs Auto Court, which included a motel, a Mobile Oil gas station, and the family home. He attended elementary school in Peach Springs but was bused into Kingman for high school. In 1958, he graduated from Mohave County Union High School (now Lee Williams High School). After high school he attended college at Arizona State University (ASU) and Northern Arizona University (NAU), majoring in accounting. Upon leaving college, he served with the Army National Guard until he was honorably discharged in 1969.
Ken returned to Kingman to work as a Deputy County Assessor after completing his initial sixmonth National Guard service. It wasn’t until after returning to Kingman that fate had him cross paths with a former fellow high school classmate, Susan Woodhouse. The two dated for three years before marrying on January 28, 1967, with the ceremony and reception taking place in the historic Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) building downtown.
Before his marriage to Susan, Ken purchased his first business, a Union Oil Service Station in Twenty-nine Palms, CA. In the first years of their marriage, they called Twenty-nine Palms their home, operating their service station and expanding their business portfolio to include a domestic water distributing business. It was while living in Twenty-nine Palms that their first daughter, Cynthia, was born.
After Ken’s father passed away, Ken and Susan purchased the Mobile Oil Bulk Plant from his mother and moved the family back to Kingman. Three years later they welcomed their second daughter, Valerie.
Community service and education were important to Ken. He was a lifetime member of The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE), and for many years, he was an active member of the Kiwanis Club, organizing and participating in fundraisers and service projects for children and the community at large. He served on the school board for Kingman Elementary School District No. 4 (KESD No. 4) (now a part of Kingman Unified School District No. 20) from 1978 to 1986. During his service on the school board, he was elected President where he oversaw the completion of Hualapai Elementary School, which opened in the Fall of 1982. After his service on the KESD No. 4 board, Ken was elected to serve as a board member for Mohave Union High School District No. 30 (MUHSD No. 30) (now a part of Kingman Unified School District No. 20), where he served for two years.
Ken loved the sport of baseball. He played on his high school baseball team and later for the Kiwanis Club. He also tried out for a Major League baseball team when he was 17. The scouts were impressed, but he was too young, so they encouraged him to come back when he was 18. However, after graduating high school, he decided instead to go to college.
Ken also loved to hunt, play golf, bowl in various leagues, camp with his family, and take the ski boat out onto the Colorado River and various lakes around Arizona.
Ken was a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, a good son, and a loyal and dependable friend to many.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Kingman Elks Lodge #468, Kingman Unified School District No. 20, Kiwanis International, or American Heart Association.
