Friends, family and colleagues gathered at the International House Sept. 10 to honor George Boyd, calling him a scholar, gentleman and mentor.
Boyd, who was the associate vice provost ofinternationalization, died Sept. 2 at Denver Hospice. He was 72.
“He made an enormous mark at the University of Denver,” Chancellor Robert Coombe said.
Boyd developed more than 100 Cherrington Global Scholars study-abroad sites for DU. Richard Clemmer-Smith, professor of anthropology, worked with Boyd on the Cherrington Board.
“He knew all about the sites,” Clemmer-Smith said. “He could tell you anything you wanted to know about them. He left a legacy for generations of students to select the study abroad experience that suits them best.”
More than 50 people gathered at the celebration, some traveling from Texas to be there. The friends and colleagues who spoke of Boyd expressed his lasting impact on the University as well as on them.
“Nobody I know was more gentle in a sincere fashion,” said former Vice Provost Ved Nanda, who convinced Boyd to come out of retirement and take the job at DU. “He adopted us, and he became a part of us, and we loved him dearly.”
Boyd joined DU nearly eight years ago after more than 30 years at Trinity University in San Antonio. He earned a BA from Austin College in Sherman, Texas, and a Master of Divinity from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. He was ordained into the ministry by the Presbyterian Church.
Proceeded in death by his wife, Boyd is survived by his daughter, Carol Stephenson, her husband, Bruce, and grandchildren Erik and Claire.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations to DU’s Cherrington Global Scholars Fund, 2200 S. Josephine St., Denver, CO 80208.
[Editor’s note: Ved Nanda’s title was updated on Oct. 27.]