ohn Samuel Boyle, 93, died at home in State College on Saturday, June 12, 2010, following an extended illness.
He was born June 7, 1917, on a farm near Laverne, Okla., the youngest of eight children, to Elizabeth Maffet Boyle and William Ferdinand Boyle. The family moved to Wichita, Kansas, when John was 5. He graduated from Wichita High School North in 1935 and received his B.Z. in science from the University of Wichita in 1939. He then served as executive director of the YMCA at the University of Iowa and received his M.S. in mycology from that institution in 1942.
He married Nellie Garretta Girvin in Wichita on his 24th birthday, June 7, 1941. John entered the U.S. Navy in 1942 with the rank of Pharmacist Mate 2nd Class and advanced to Lieutenant Senior Grade. He saw service in both the Atlantic and Pacific theatres as an armed guard officer aboard supply ships. His last assignment was commanding officer of the hospital ship USS APL 58.
He was honorably discharged in 1945. He received his doctorate in plant pathology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in 1949. An expert on viral diseases of fruit and vegetable crops, he pioneered experimental work in the transmission of viral diseases from woody to herbaceous plants. His insatiable curiosity fueled his meticulous research.
Dr. Boyle was a former president of the Northeast Division of the American Phytopathological Society and a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Association of Applied Biologists. He was also a member of Delta Epsilon, Sigma Xi and Gamma Sigma Delta. In 1946-1965, Dr. Boyle was a Fulbright lecturer at Assiut University in upper Egypt. In 1975, also with the Fulbright program, he had a research grant to study tomato viruses at the Glasshouse Crops Research Centre in Kinsealey, Ireland. Other foreign assignments included teaching in Sri Lanka and twice with vegetable evaluation and control programs in Uruguay.
A professor emeritus, he retired in 1982 from the Department of Plant Pathology after 33 years at Penn State. John was a member of St. Paul's United Methodist Church for over 50 years. At various times, he taught Sunday school classes in both the youth and adult departments. He was a member of the Official Board and also on the Wesley Foundation Board. John was a former presidnet of the State College Kiwanis Club and a former secretary of the Penn State Literary Club. He was a member of the Elks Club, Torch Club, Navy League, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 321, American Legion Post 0779 and the Penn State Faculty-Staff Club.
He was pre-deceased by his parents, siblings and his sons, John David, (1943) and Stephen Garrett (2007). He is survived by his wife, Nellie; his daughters, Elizabeth Boyle Taylor, of Mount Union, and Margaret Boyle White (Eric), of Los Altos, Calif.; his grandchildren, Charles White, Amy White, Mary Elizabeth Boyle and Tamara Rene Boyle; and a great-grandson, Mekhi Boyle.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, June 17, 2010, at Koch Funeral Home, 2401 S. Atherton St., State College. The funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday, June 18, 2010, at the funeral home, with the Rev. Dr. G. Edwin Zeider officiating. Memorial contributions may be made to Centre Crossings Hospice, 2437 Commercial Blvd., State College, PA 16801; or to St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 109 McAllister St., State College, PA 16801.