Robert L. Boyles, 94, of Wayland, died peacefully surrounded by his family on January 11, 2013.
The son of Methodist missionaries and teachers, he was born in Burma in 1918. Bob began boarding school at the age of 7 in Thandoung, followed by middle school farther north near Mandalay, where encounters with wild animals were possible in the jungle. Traveling to Woodstock High School in Mussoorie, India in the foothills of the Himalayas required an incredible five day journey - three by steamer and two by train. After graduating from Woodstock in 1935, Bob earned a BS in electrical engineering from the University of Denver. He relocated to Massachusetts to begin his 42-year career as an engineer in General Electric’s Clock, Timer, and Housewares department. By the time he retired from GE in 1982, Bob had been awarded 44 patents for various small appliances, including innovations in alarm clocks, clock radios, oven timers, and electric toothbrushes. His family fondly remembers testing out many of these prototypes at home.
In 1945, Bob married Ruby Palmer of Malden, Mass. They raised their four children in Wayland, and spent summers driving to California to visit Bob’s family, or enjoying their cottage on Lake Winnipesauke in NH. After 36 years of marriage, Bob lost Ruby to cancer. He married Ruth Warcholik in 1983 and after a few years in Florida, they settled in Brevard, NC. Shortly before Ruth passed away in 2005, Bob and Ruth relocated to the Farm Pond retirement community in Framingham, MA to be closer to family. Bob continued to golf and enjoyed walks around the pond well into his 90’s. He even took up painting for a short time and used watercolors to recreate scenes of Burma and Winnipesauke. Throughout his life, however, his most cherished times were those spent in the company of his family. Bob was one of the original participants in the Framingham Heart Study.
Bob was the father of Lois A. Boyles and her husband Richard M. Totoiu of Alexandria, VA, David F. Boyles and his wife Marti P. of Holliston, Terry R. Boyles and his wife Sue F. of Riverside, CA, and Ellen B. Race and her husband Rob K. of Topsfield. He was the grandfather of Nancy, Jessica, Daniel, Meghan, Kayla, Alex, and Lauren and great-grandfather of Meghan, Evan, and Katie. He was also the brother of the late Esther Johnson and Frank Boyles.
A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, January 15, 2013 at 2:00 PM in the Pilgrim Church, UCC, 25 South Main St. Sherborn, MA 01770. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the Friends of the Framingham Heart Study, 73 Mt. Wayte Ave. – Suite 2, Framingham, MA 01702-5827.