James Frederick Boyd's Obituary
James Frederick “Fred” Boyd was born July 28, 1946 in Columbus, KY and passed away on Wednesday, March 11, 2026 at his home surrounded by family in Covington, LA.
He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Donna Ward Boyd; his children, Jennifer Boyd Hebert and Alicia Boyd Reed; and grandchildren, Lola Reed, Lucy Reed, Scarlett Hebert, and Miller Hebert. He is also survived by his siblings, Judy Hedden and Rosslyn Scheideman, and a son in everything but blood, Thomas Owens, as well as many wonderful lifelong friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, James Ross Boyd and Thelma Louise Brown, and his son, Austin Ross Boyd.
Fred was a proud Vietnam veteran. Upon returning from service, he began his career on the Mississippi River as a mate on towboats in 1971 in Memphis. His love of the river and talent in the wheelhouse had him piloting unlimited tonnage from the Southwest Pass to Baton Rouge by 1981 where he embraced the New Orleans culture until his retirement in 2014.
He loved his family and animals fiercely, particularly his dogs Vegas, Elsa and Dudley. He was an avid golfer in his younger years and was sneaky good at poker, twice winning local tournaments.
He was the life of the party - always ready and the last one standing and has never met a stranger.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Fred may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105, 1-800-805-5856; https://www.stjude.org/; or Salem Cemetery c/o Robert Tarver, 2887 St Rt 307 N, Clinton, Ky 42031.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend the funeral services at The Chapel at First Baptist Church Covington, 16054 Murphy Road, Covington, LA 70433, on Thursday, March 19, 2026 at 2:00 PM with visitation beginning at 1:00 PM. Interment will take place at a later date in Salem Cemetery.
E.J. Fielding Funeral Home has been entrusted with funeral arrangements. The family invites you to share thoughts, fond memories, and condolences by signing an online guestbook at https://www.ejfieldingfh.com.
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