Eugene Daniel Boyer

Eugene Daniel Boyer was born on August 8, 1926 and passed away on May 22, 2013. Eugene was the son of Albert D. and Mildred A. Boyer (both deceased) of Valley View, Pennsylvania. He is survived by his former wife, Teresa Troup Boyer, of Havre de Grace; his daughters, Tina, of Montclair, NJ; Cynthia Amirault and husband Paul and their children Kerrie, Ryan and Kelsey of Kingsville, Maryland; Sheila Harrelle, and husband, Preston and their children, Faith and Brett, of Herndon, Virginia; sons, Kean, of Cape Coral, FL, and Kean's son, Second Lieutenant Aaron Boyer of the US Army and wife Nicole; and son Nathan and Nathan's son, Daniel, of Havre de Grace, Maryland; his brother Don Boyer and wife Eileen of Phoenix, AZ and their children Eric and Dustin; while his sister, Edna Mae Hoy is deceased, he is survived by his brother-in law, Elwood Hoy of Millersburg, PA and Elwood's children Steven, Gregory, Lynn and Kim. Eugene is also survived by his friend and life companion, Doris Sinclair of Havre de Grace, Maryland and her children, John, Samuel, Neil (deceased), Amy and grandchildren Ryan and Joshua. Eugene's formative years were spent in the rural community of Valley View in the coal regions of central Pennsylvania. Eugene was a member of the 1944 graduating class of Hegins Township High School amongst 63 fellow graduates. He enlisted in the Army Air Force in 1945 and participated in "Second World War mop-up exercises" in Italy and Germany until his discharge as a Private First Class. While his parents had little formal education, they valued education and encouraged him to seek a college degree. The GI Bill allowed him to attend Gettysburg College. Eugene graduated in 1950 with a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and was the first member of his family to earn a college degree. This achievement set the tone for his brother, children and grandchildren all of whom already have or will pursue higher education. Eugene's focus on the importance of education is one of his most important legacies. Eugene's approach to work and play was always to: do it with enthusiasm, be dedicated and not deflected from the task at hand, be willing to work hard, beyond the understanding of most, until the job was completed. This was the cornerstone of Eugene's life. "If it was worth doing it had to be done well and in a timely fashion. Instead of Eugene greeting his children with a hello, when he visited them, he would say, "Why aren't you working?" Eugene began his 40 year civil service career as a mathematician at the Ballistics Research Laboratories (BRL) of the Aberdeen Proving Grounds. His initial projects involved calculating the trajectories and general motion of experimental projectiles to be used in measuring the chemical and physical characteristics of the atmosphere. He also tested the projectiles for use in research and combat. Early in Eugene's tenure with the BRL, Dr. Murphy, his supervisor, noted his strengths in not only engineering and science but in management as well. This led to his appointment as the Head of BRL's Transonic Range, which he held until his retirement. Eugene proved to be a dedicated and respected leader for the range. He was also a member of a team of scientists and engineers whose goal was to use a gun to launch a satellite into orbit, known as the High Altitude Research Program HARP). Eugene's leisure activities were varied and pursued with passion. His first love was bowling. In 1953 Eugene and his father built Boyer's Bowling Center, in Valley View PA. Eugene was very well known throughout the Mid-Atlantic region for the Boyer's Annual Spring Classic tournament. More than 350 teams from the region and, at its peak, 50 teams from Aberdeen, MD bowled in the tournament. This led to Eugene and his father's induction into the Milton USBC Bowling Association Hall of Fame in 2008. Eugene, through the family's bowling center, taught each of his children valuable work ethics. His five children and grandchildren are all avid skiers because of Eugene's love for skiing. Eugene loved square dancing and, in keeping with his passion for dancing, traveled extensively. After his retirement in 1986, RV travel became his chosen pastime. His favorite destinations were Alaska and the Oregon coast line with its salmon and halibut fishing, California with its warm sunshine, Mexico with its excitement and Las Vegas with its lively craps tables. Eugene was also a member of the Free and Accepted Masons of PA. Eugene Daniel Boyer was laid to rest at Harford Memorial Gardens, Chapel of Eternity on May 28, 2013. In tribute to Eugene's commitment to education, the family is requesting donations be made to the Scholarship Fund in Memory of Eugene D. Boyer '50, Gettysburg Fund # 426, Gettysburg College, 300 N. Washington Street, Gettysburg, PA 17325-9984. Funeral Home: Tarring-Cargo Funeral Home 333 South Parke Street Aberdeen, MD US 21001