James H. Boyd

James Howard “Deke Boyd, age 92, died peacefully on September 19, 2026. His long life was marked by hard work, family, a sharp sense of humor, and a lasting love of cars, boats, fishing, and travel. He was the devoted husband of Dorothy Alma Boyd, whom he married on July 7, 1953.

Deke was born in the Shopville area of Eastern Kentucky. His family moved to the Cincinnati area when he was a young boy, but his rural roots never left him. He began his working life as a farmer, managing cattle on Center Hill Road. Over the years, he owned and operated a number of service stations in the Cincinnati area, including Sunoco, Shell and Gulf. As if running service stations did not keep him busy enough, he also built Bi-State Transport, a regional star contract postal transportation company serving post offices throughout Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. He retired in 1996.

He loved automobiles from the start. His first car was a 1934 Ford, and he enjoyed trying to remember just how many cars and boats he had owned over the years. He and Dorothy were members of the Cincinnati Outboard Runabout Association (COBRA) since 1966. Together, they raised their five children on the water of the Ohio River, spending their summers boating, fishing, and water skiing.

For many years, Deke and Dorothy spent their winters in the Fort Myers area of Florida with several of their lifelong COBRA friends and returned to Cincinnati for the summers. Never one for cold weather, Deke looked forward to heading south for the winter.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Oscar and Cora Boyd, 5 brothers and 2 sisters.

He is survived by his wife, Dorothy Alma (Kees): his children, James Edwin (Sue) Boyd, Steven Wayne (Debbie) Boyd, Howard Terence (Linda) Boyd: Daughters Denise Anne Boyd, and Cynthia Marie (Richard) Mays: nine grandchildren and their spouses: and sixteen great-grandchildren.

Visitation will take place on Thursday, September 24, 2026, from 5 pm until 7pm and will be followed by a memorial service beginning at 7 pm, at Hodapp Funeral Home, 8815 Cincinnati-Columbus Road, West Chester, OH 45069.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Cincinnati.