Vicki Lynn Boyd

Vicki Lynn Boyd passed away peacefully on Aug. 12, 2021, at home, surrounded by her family after a courageous battle with myelofibrosis (bone marrow cancer) and a bone marrow transplant.

Vicki was predeceased by her parents, Bill and Lois Grate, business pioneers in Fountain Hills. Vicki was born in Alliance, Ohio on Dec. 30, 1946, to Bill and Lois Grate. The family moved to Scottsdale in 1958. Vicki was a Scottsdale High School and Arizona State University cheerleader.

While at Scottsdale High, Vicki met the love of her life, James W. Boyd, Jr. Vicki and Jim dated for five years then married on June 11, 1966, prior to his Marine Corps deployment to Vietnam. For the first 20 years, Vicki stayed at home to raise daughters, Kimberley, Kari and Tatum, and enjoyed playing tennis, cooking, boating and traveling. She volunteered with the Visiting Nurses Service Auxiliary and the Junior League of Phoenix. She also co-chaired the 1993 Project Graduation at Saguaro High School, which led to her working at Saguaro from 1993 to 2017, when she retired to care for her mother.

Vicki kept her family close and looked forward to the family’s annual getaways to Mission Beach, a tradition for 29 years, including this July. She always celebrated everyone’s special occasions with cards and gifts and was famous for her beautifully wrapped packages with extravagant bows.

Vicki was her children’s and grandchildren’s biggest fan, ever present at their academic ceremonies and sporting events. Vicki’s kindhearted smile invited everyone she met to be her friend, and once accepted, you became Vicki’s friend for life and knew you could count on her if ever you needed her.

Vicki is survived by her husband of 55 years, Jim; her daughters, Kimberly (Karl) Kuo, Kari (Todd) Sumney, Tatum (Steve) Wright; six grandchildren Brandon Sumney, Jacob Sumney, Kyle Kuo, Kelby Kuo, Caden Wright, Alyssa Wright; sisters Soozy (Jeff) Wickman and Judy Thompson.

A service in remembrance of Vicki will be held at Messinger Pinnacle Peak Mortuary on Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021, at 11a.m. (MASKS REQUIRED). In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Mayo Clinic in Vicki’s name to fund myelofibrosis research specifically at the Arizona Campus. Donations can be made at philanthropy.mayoclinic.org/donateMC. Please designate your gift to “other” and specify “Myelofibrosis research at the Arizona campus.”