John "Jack" Boyer died Tuesday, May 26, 2008, at Rockport Coastal Care Center in Rockport. He was an 18-year resident of Port Aransas.

Boyer was born in 1932 in Buckley, Ill. He was a graduate of the University of Illinois Engineering School of Civil Engineering, and was a longtime employee of EJ & E Railroad in Joliet, Ill., where he retired in 1986 as chief engineer.

In Port Aransas, Boyer owned and operated J.R. Boyer and Co., and was a member of the Community Presbyterian Church. He walked the beach every day.

He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Gwen Boyer; daughters Angie (Mike) Huckabay of Pflugerville and Port Aransas, Sue (Bob) Little of Naples, Fla., Kathy (Dan) Griffin of Crete, Ill.; a son, John (Rita) Boyer Jr of Houston; a brother, Ron Boyer of Watseka, Ill.; an aunt, Dorothy Brower of Watseka; and seven grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers or other memorials the family has requested that contributions be made to the Huntington's Disease Society of America Research Department, 505 Eighth Ave., Suite 902, New York, NY, 10018.

A memorial service will be held at a later date.