John L. Boyd, 74. of Lynden passed away Feb. 10, 2007, in Bellingham. He was born June 12, 1932, in Seattle to Margaret (Sayre) and William Neeb Boyd.

He graduated from Queen Anne High School in Seattle in 1950. He completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and History at Western Washington College of Education and followed that with a Certificate in Teaching in 1965. John also served his country in the Naval Reserve.

He was an elementary school teacher for 25 years in both the Mount Baker and Ferndale School Districts. After retiring from teaching, he took his love of woodworking and started Boyd’s Building. John was instrumental in starting GASA in Oak Harbor.

John began singing barbershop music in 1949 in high school. He joined the Barbershop Harmony Society in 1954. By 1959, he had reorganized the Bellingham Chapter, who we know as the Mount Baker Toppers, and was their director until 1965. From 1975 on, he was very involved with the Young Men in Harmony program. He had a long list of service and singing accomplishments however, he is remembered most for his commitment to bringing the joy of singing to the young people of the Northwest.

He has been a member of the An-O-Chords Chapter in Anacortes since 1993. He combined his understanding of young people and his love of singing to lead the Evergreen District’s “Teaching the Children to Sing” program. In 2001 he organized his chapter’s Get America Singing Again program. This program reaches over 3,500 elementary students per year in the Skagit and Island County with donated songbooks and singing at school district finales.

John enjoyed boating, skiing, traveling and spending time at the cabin, which the family built together, in the San Juan Islands.

He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Tamara (Townley); daughters Kelli (Tony Baratti), Kathryn (Richard Pitner), son Kevin (Jennifer) and daughter Kristin (Rich Hasty), eight grandchildren and four great grand children.

A celebration of his life will be held Saturday, March 10, at 1 p.m. at the Avon United Methodist Church, 13743 Avon-Allen Road, Mount Vernon.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the An-O-Chords Youth Outreach Program, 1085 S.W. 4th Avenue, Oak Harbor, WA 98277.