Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCalvin Clay Boykin, Jr. ObituaryCalvin Clay Boykin, Jr. passed away October 23, 2008, at his home in Col- lege Station, Texas. A vigil will be held at Memorial Fu- neral Chapel, 2901 Texas Avenue S., in College Sta- tion on Sunday, October 26, from 6 - 8 p.m. The funeral mass will be celebrated at St. Thomas Aquinas Catho- lic Church, 2541 Earl Rud- der Freeway, College Sta- tion, Monday, October 27, at 10:30 a.m.. Burial will follow at College Station Cemetery. Cal was born March 1, 1924, to Rubye Opal (Heath) and Calvin Clay Boykin, Sr., in Roswell, New Mexico. He attended public schools in Rochelle and Big Spring, Texas, graduating from Big Spring High School in 1942, a year later than his class so he could play football for one more year with his younger brother, Bobby. He enrolled in the Agricultural and Me- chanical College of Texas in College Station for two se- mesters prior to volunteer- ing for the draft in 1943. Cal served as an armored recon car gunner and Sec- tion Sergeant with the 814th Tank Destroyer Bat- talion, attached to the 7th Armored Division in Eu- rope during World War II. He landed on Utah Beach on August 7, 1944. His service saw him through four cam- paigns in Europe including the Ardennes-Alsace, par- ticipation in the defense of St. Vith, Belgium, with Task Force Jones and in the occu- pation of Germany. After the war, he returned to A&M. In 1946, while a student at A&M, he met the love of his life, Rosemary Elizabeth DePasquale, a graduating senior at Southern Meth- odist University in Dallas, Texas. After their mar- riage in Dickinson, Texas, on June 30, 1946, Cal and Rosemary returned to A&M to continue Cal’s studies where he graduated with a B.S. degree in Range and Forestry in January 1949. Following graduation, Cal served for fi ve years as a Range Conservationist with the U. S. Soil Conservation Service in West Texas, then returned to A&M with Rose- mary, daughters Karen and Anne, and son, Clay. In 1956 he earned an M.S. degree in Agricultural Economics also from A&M. He was appoint- ed Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics at A&M where he conducted research on the economics of range and livestock development, and taught farm management. In September 1959, Cal accepted a position as Agri- cultural Economist with the Economic Research Service, U. S. Department of Agricul- ture at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico. While there, Cal and Rosemary’s son, Thomas, was born. Cal con- tinued his research in range and livestock economics, transferring with the Eco- nomics Research Service to the University of California at Davis in 1961. He contin- ued his research and further studies at the University of California at Berkeley com- muting from nearby Pleas- ant Hill. In 1963, Cal was transferred to Texas A&M University, where he con- tinued his research with the Economic Research Service in cooperation with the Tex- as Agricultural Experiment Station. Since 1963, Cal and Rosemary maintained their home base in College Station. From 1970 on, Cal partici- pated in a number of foreign assignments under contract with U. S. and international agencies. These include the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the U. S. Agency for International Develop- ment, and two assignments with the European Devel- opment Fund of the Euro- pean Economic Community. His postings include: Iran (1970, 1971), Pakistan (1973, 1975, 1982), Syr- ia (1979 - 80), Botswana (1981 - 85, 1987), Ecuador (1985), Yemen Arab Repub- lic (1985), Somalia (1988), and Lesotho (1988 - 93). Although Cal retired from Federal service in 1985, he continued in his profession as a private consultant in domestic and international agricultural development. He also served as a research surviving members of the 814th TD, he wrote and pub- lished his division history, Gare La Bete: A History of the 814th Tank Destroyer Battalion, 1942-1945, C&R Publications, College Station, Texas, 1995. The book chronicles the group’s experiences including the Battle of St. Vith, one of the key battles of the Battle of the Bulge. The book is now in its fi fth printing. Cal also published a monograph on Gen. Rob- ert Bruce Jones, the found- er of Camp Hood. Cal truly believed in letter writing and for many years corresponded with the re- maining commanders of WWII, various authors and historians including Gen. von Manteuffel, commander German Panzer Division. Cal served as fi rst vice- president of the Seventh Armored Division Associa- tion. He was re-elected First Vice-President at their an- nual meeting in Nashville, Tennessee only one month ago. He also served in the Tank Destroyer Society and as president of the 814th Tank Destroyer Society. Cal was the fi rst two-part inter- view on Tom Turbyville’s “Veterans of the Valley” for KAMU. Cal was also inter- viewed by Bill Youngkin for his “Brazos Valley He- roes” appearing in The Eagle. Reading was a favorite past time of Cal’s. He was rarely without a book in hand and several beside his chair. Most were military histories, philosophies and biographies. He read to his children when they were little. He read the Legend of Sleepy Hollow and The Voyage to Liliput in lieu of the more popular children’s books. He completed the Great Books of the Western World course and received rave reviews from his instructor. Cal was actively involved in the early meetings that led to the end of segrega- tion in the College Station schools. Years later, his re- tirement also allowed him the opportunity to serve his community as a manage- ment counselor with SCORE, a volunteer organization un- der the U. S. Small Business Administration; as presi- dent of the Emerald Forest Homeowners Association, and as an instructor of “Writing Your Memoirs” for XtraEd through the City of College Station Department of Parks and Recreation. Cal took a special interest in the Veterans Park and Athletic Complex from the early stages of its beginning. He actively contributed his thoughts and ideas to the Brazos Valley Veterans Me- morial and the American Mile at Veterans Park. He befriended Brent Mullins and encouraged the young man in his quest to estab- lish a museum for American G.I.s. Cal also consulted with Brent in the restoration of the M-8 tank destroyer similar to the one Cal rode on in WWII. Most recently Cal began writing his per- sonal memoirs through his service years in WWII. Cal fought many battles in his military career but none equaled the personal battles he faced with chronic lym- phatic leukemia, diagnosed in 1989, and African tick bite fever he contracted on assignment in Lesotho in 1992. He told us recently that “the last 16 years have been gravy” and that he was truly thankful for his time on earth. Rosemary followed Cal, literally, to the ends of the earth. No matter where he worked, Rosemary was not only with him but volunteering on and contributing to proj- ects in their international communities. Rosemary passed away on Father’s Day, June 15, 2008. Cal and Rosemary were rarely apart in life. We are com- forted in knowing that they will not be apart in eternity. Cal is survived by his children: Karen Lee Peter- son and husband, David, of Mission, Texas; Elizabeth CALVIN CLAY BOYKIN, JRCALVIN CLAY BOYKIN, JR. March 1, 1924 - October 23, 2008 fellow with the Mosher In- stitute for Defense Studies at Texas A&M University. Cal is the author or co- author of over 100 journal articles, bulletins, book re- views, congressional docu- ments, and miscellaneous publications concerning the economics of livestock and range development. He was a charter member of the Southern Agricultural Eco- nomics Association. He was listed in “American Men and Women of Science” in 1977. Periodically, since 1968, Cal studied creative writing through correspondence courses offered by the Inde- pendent Study Department of The University of Okla- homa. As a result of these studies he wrote a number of short stories, and in 1988 he completed a WWII based novel, as yet unpublished. In the fi eld of military his- tory, Cal has contributed, at the request of numerous military historians, a num- ber of accounts about his World War II experiences. With his tank destroyer battalion’s after action re- ports and historical writ- ings about the 7th Armored Division in hand, plus his letters home during the pe- riod in Europe, as well as the personal accounts of the Anne Boykin of College Sta- tion; C. Clay Boykin III and wife, Laurie Bell of Austin, Texas; and Thomas Heath Boykin and wife, Katyla Mariela of College Station. Cal is also survived by his seven grandchildren: Lance Arvid Peterson and wife Marcela Cardenas of Teco- man, Colima, Mexico; Daren Ray Peterson and wife Jen- nifer of Lubbock, Texas; and Ryan Peterson of Mission; Tamara Anne Gunter of Aus- tin, and her brother, Thom- as Arthur Gunter, his wife April of Austin; and Brandon Heath Boykin and his sister, Kensey Lee Boykin of Col- lege Station. Cal is survived by fi ve great-grandchildren: Carmen and David Peterson Cardenas; Thomas Allen, Ava Delaine, and Forrest Calvin Gunter. Other family members are Cal’s brother Robert Heath Boykin and his wife Camille of Plano, Texas; and his sister Jo Anne Boykin of Austin, Tex- as. Special friends of Cal’s from WWII are Enny and the late Theo Vromans Sanders of Maastricht, Holland; and Francoise Winieska, former- ly of Rambouillet, France. The family wishes to ex- press their sincere appre- ciation to Dr. James F. Coo- per, Dr. Terry Jenkins, Dr. Ricardo Gutierrez, and Dr. Bohne, the nursing staff and caregivers of Brazos Val- ley Hospice especially Deb- bie, Jennifer and Sabrina. Pallbearers will be six of Cal’s grandchildren: Ta- mara Anne Gunter, Thom- as Arthur Gunter, Lance Peterson, Daren Peterson, Ryan Peterson, and Bran- don Boykin. Donations may be made to The Museum of the American G.I. (www. magicstx.org) Or to the Brazos Valley Veterans Me- morial (www.bvvm.org). Arrangements by Koenig- Strickland Funeral Home of La Grange, Texas, 979.968.3121.Friends may view the obituary and guest book online at www. lagrangefunerals.com. We love you, Daddy!