John Boyd

d. May 30, 2021

(John) Ronald Boyd, local lawyer, died peacefully with family by his side at his home in Canada de Los Alamos outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico on May 30, 2021.

Ronald was born in Cleburne, Texas on June 29, 1945. Growing up in Central Texas, he honed his practical joke skills. Attending the University of Texas, Austin, he completed his undergraduate studies and law degree. While living in Austin, he heard about a beautiful, culturally-rich, bohemian, small town in New Mexico. With his law degree and little else he moved to Santa Fe. Always industrious and capable of making friends of strangers, Ronald convinced a local lawyer, Al Sanchez, to take him on as an apprentice. After earning his bar license, Ronald opened his own practice. He was known as a generous lawyer who would take the most hopeless of cases, often times working for barter or without charge. Both a friend to, and a thorn in the side of, opposing counsel, court clerks, and judges alike, Ronald loved being a lawyer, working up until days before his death.

He met Marjorie, a native of Chicago, in Santa Fe, introduced by mutual friends. They purchased a small historic "shotgun" house along the railroad in Lamy, NM, where they brought home their two babies. Losing the house to fire, Ronald and Marjorie began working towards their dream of building a solar-heated, environmentally low-impact home on land outside of Santa Fe, where Marjorie continues to live. Ronald loved being a father, making time to coach his kid's sports teams, and keeping Lucienne and Ethan busy with silly adventures like chasing down florescent-colored golf balls he would hit into the arroyos and pinon trees around their home.

Other than his family, practicing law, and golf, Ronald's other deep commitment was to his faith and guru, Mata Amritanandamayi, "Amma". Among fellow devotees and in the presence of Amma, Ronald found life-long friends and peace from his recurring health struggles. He attended Satsang most Saturday evenings where he was able to express his love for music, first learning the finger cymbals, then drums, and finally guitar. On Sundays, he joined his friends from the Burrito Project at the Ashram to make lunches for Santa Fe's unhoused people. Known as the "plant guy," he shared his capable green-thumb by growing and then selling plants each year to raise money for the Amma Center of New Mexico.

Ronald was preceded in death by his father, John Porter Boyd, his mother, Mary Kathryn Boyd Fountain, and his step-father, Lee Fountain. His is survived by his wife, Marjorie Sahlin Boyd, his children Lucienne Ohanian (Ara Ohanian) and Ethan Boyd, his brother, Gary Boyd (Mildred "Mickie" Boyd), and his grandchildren, Raffi and Sarkis.

Family and friends will celebrate Ronald's life on July 10, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. outdoors at the Amma Center of New Mexico, 48 Stone Cabin Road. All are welcome. Shade and seating will be provided, as well as light refreshments after the ceremony. We ask guests to follow Covid-19 precautions for the State of New Mexico as they exist at that time. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you help a person who is down on their luck or get in a little good, necessary trouble.

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John Boyd

d. May 30, 2021

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