Mr. Chester L. Boyd, Jr.

Obituary Chester Lorenzo Boyd Jr., 94, departed this life on February 27, 2022, at the Kansas City Hospice House in Kansas City, Missouri. He was born on September 5, 1927, in Baxter Springs, Kansas to Chester Lorenzo, Sr. and Helen Marie Peterson Boyd (Bond). Chester or “Junior” as his parents called him, spent his early years in Baxter Springs and attended a one room schoolhouse until his family moved to Kansas City when he was 7 years old. Chester attended Lincoln High School in Kansas City where he graduated at the age of 16. After high school, he enrolled at the University of Kansas; however, his education was interrupted by the draft. In December 1945, just months after the end of World War II, he began his year of service in the United States Army. Chester spent part of his time in the service stationed in Germany during the occupation. Chester was honorably discharged in December 1946. Upon leaving the service he decided to resume his studies and this time he used his GI benefits to attend Syracuse University where he received his undergraduate degree in speech and drama. He later went on to earn his Master of Arts degree from American University in 1965. Although his true love was acting, he was recruited to be a teacher in the Arlington County Virginia school system. In 1951, he began his career in education at Hoffman-Boston Junior/ Senior High School where he taught English, Speech and Drama. In his spare time, he honed is acting skills by performing with Howard University’s Howard Players. Chester continued to teach in Arlington’s segregated school system until the mid-1960s when the county finally decided to desegregate its schools. In 1964 Hoffman-Boston was closed and the students and teachers were integrated into the white schools. Chester was transferred to Thomas Jefferson Junior High School and later to Wakefield High School where he had a large auditorium and stage for the fall and spring plays or musicals that he directed. Occasionally, you could find him playing small parts in those plays as well. Some of the productions included Broadway plays such as Hello Dolly, Oklahoma, West Side Story and Barefoot in the Park. In the fall, when he was not teaching or directing plays at Wakefield, you could find him at the school’s football field announcing the games on Friday nights. During his tenure with the county, Chester also worked in various leadership roles with the Arlington Education Association and was eventually the first black person elected to be president of this teacher’s union. Chester worked in the Arlington County school system for more than 35 years until he retired and moved back to his hometown of Kansas City. However, he soon restarted his teaching career in the Kansas City public school system. He also taught courses at Donnelly College and Penn Valley. Chester continued teaching until he was well into his 80s. Apart from teaching, Chester used his communication skills in several part time jobs. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, he worked as a disc jockey (DJ) for WOOK radio in Washington, DC. During his time as a DJ, he organized a union at the station. He was a proud member of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA). In 1952, Chester married Pauline Martin in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Initially, they made their home in Arlington, Virginia before moving to Washington, DC in 1957. During the next 5 years, this union produced three children, Christopher, Alan, and Paula. Chester and Pauline were married for 24 years until it ended in divorce. He had another marriage that ended before he moved back to his childhood home. In 1993, Chester married Mayzella Petite, in Kansas City, Missouri and they were happily married for 28 years. Chester enjoyed traveling and entertaining people with his stories and jokes. If there was a piano or guitar around, he would play a song or two and sometimes it might be one that he wrote. Chester is survived by his wife Mayzella, his sons Christopher (Paula O.) Boyd and Alan (Terry) Boyd, his daughter Paula Boyd (Tony) Carter; bonus daughters Yvonne Petite, Kimberly Gooden and Babette King; his brother Robert Boyd; his grandchildren Derek (Hollie Robinson) Boyd, Steven Boyd, Daniel Reed, Adam (Shannon Covert) Reed, Andrew Boyd and Aaron Boyd; his bonus grandchildren, Anthony Peterson, Sydney (Tyler) Melville, Ashley King, Krystal King and Ricci Cox; his great-grandchildren, Riley Robinson, Everton Boyd and Santana Reed; his bonus great-grandchildren Julianna Henderson and Colton Cox; his nieces, nephews and a host of other relatives and friends. Chester was preceded in death by his bonus son Ronnie Petite. Funeral Service will be held Monday, March 7, 2022, 11:00am at Lawrence A. Jones & Son funeral Chapel. Interment Leavenworth National Cemetery, LVNKS. Visitation will be from 10 am-11am at the chapel. Service conducted by Lawrence A. Jones & Sons Funeral Chapel. Condolences may be shared on our website. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Mr. Chester L. Boyd, Jr., please visit our floral store. Read More

Mr. Chester L. Boyd, Jr.

September 5, 1927 - February 27, 2022