IN MEMORIAM WILLIAM HERBERT "SKIP" BOYER
Paradise Valley-Silver Trowel Lodge #29, Phoenix, Arizona
31 July 1945- 27 May 2006
William H. "Skip" Boyer passed away Saturday evening, May 27, 2006, shortly after entering Hospice Care at Thunderbird Banner in Phoenix. With Skip at the time of his death were wife Marcia, son Kit and daughter Melanie. Memorial services will be at 11 a.m., Friday at the First United Methodist Church of Phoenix, 5510 N. Central Ave. Skip was the corporate historian and director of Executive Communications for Best Western International, Inc., where he had worked for more than 20 years. Skip earned more than 70 regional and national awards for his writing, and was author of a full-length history of Best WesternSimply the Best, which won six national writing awards. In addition to his Best Western responsibilities, Skip became a sought-after public speaker, columnist and freelance writer, with materials appearing regularly in professional, fraternal and special-interest publications. Skip was the son of a Masonic family and a fourth generation Master Mason. He was an active member and Past Master of Paradise Valley Silver Trowel #29, F&AM, Phoenix, and was named the Lodge's Mason of the Year in 2000. He was a member of the Scottish Rite bodies of the Valley of Phoenix and wrote a monthly column that appeared in its journal. He also wrote a column for the Philalethes Magazine for the Philaethes Society, Masonry's oldest and largest research society. Skip also was a member of Arizona Research Lodge No. 1. He was a member of the Brotherhood of the Blue Forget-Me-Not, which was established in the 1940s to honor those who promoted the understanding of the Craft through their teaching and writing. Skip began his commitment to masonry in 1959, when he joined the same Order of DeMolay his father began with, and served as Chevalier and Master Councilor. Skip earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from Hastings College in Hastings, Nebr., and a master's degree in journalism from Kansas State University. He went on to serve as director of public relations at Florida Southern College and Virginia Wesleyan College, where he also taught journalism. A native of Omaha, Nebr., he began his career on the Sun Newspapers of Omaha, and worked in radio and as director of public relations for Philmont, the national camping center of the Boy Scouts of America. He earned the prestigious ABC accreditation from the Business Communication Association and served as a founding member of the Editorial Board of the Online Journal of Academic Leadership. While Skip was an accomplished professional, he will be best remembered as the father his children adored and the husband who was dedicated to his wife for 37 years. Skip leaves behind his wife Marcia, who continues to reside in Phoenix, daughter Melanie of Washington, D.C., son Kit, daughter-in-law Leah Zerbe Boyer, and infant granddaughter Avery, of Redondo Beach, Calif. Skip is also survived by his brother Richard Boyer of Omaha, Nebr., and his sister Barbara Boyer of Cheyenne, Wyo. The Boyer family has established the William H. "Skip" Boyer Endowed Journalism Scholarship at Hastings College in remembrance of their husband, father, father-in-law, grandfather and brother. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donation to the journalism scholarship to honor Skip's beliefs in a free press, the importance of a foundation in writing, and to give a first year student the opportunity to study and grow in a small, liberal arts college environment. Persons wishing to remember Skip Boyer with a lasting memorial are invited to make a gift to: The William H. "Skip" Boyer Journalism Scholarship Fund, Hastings College, 1001 N. 6th Ave, Hastings, NE 68901
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