Julia M. Boyd

Published 3:13 pm Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Julia M. Boyd

February 6, 2017

Julia Mae Matthews Boyd, 85, of Brinson, Ga., passed away Monday, February 6, 2017, at her residence.

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The funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, February 8, 2017, at Ivey Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Stanley Phillips and Rev. James Scarborough officiating. Interment will be at Bethany Baptist Church Cemetery with Parker Boyd, Preston Griffin, Adam McLane, Dennis Poulk, Glen Hatcher and Erwin Hatcher serving as active pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be Roger Smith, Billy Birdsong, Lamar Hatcher, Ronnie Hatcher and Marion Humphrey.

The family will receive friends immediately following the service. Online visitors may sign the guest register at www.iveyfuneral.com.

Julia Mae Matthews was born April 27, 1931, in Bainbridge, Ga., the daughter of James “Bud” Wright Matthews and Gilbert Dee Nichols Matthews. She was a loving and dedicated wife to the late John L. Boyd for over 56 years.

Julia graduated from Pine Hill High School in 1949. She received her educational degree from Norman Park College and worked for the Decatur County Board of Education as a teacher and paraprofessional for over 25 years. She was a lifelong member of First Baptist Church, a member of the Lydia Sunday School Class and enjoyed community organizations such as the American Legion Auxiliary and the Order of the Easter Star. She was a dedicated homemaker and loving mother all her life to Shari Leigh Boyd Griffin and James Russell Boyd.

Julia loved everyone especially her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She often gave words of encouragement to all her children and students to complete their education, describing how useful and important it would be later in life. She loved everything about life and always put others before herself. She loved gardening, crafts and collecting early photos of her family as well as time spent cooking for family dinners. It was always important to her for the family to sit and eat together as often as possible.

Survivors include her son, Russell Boyd, and his wife, Christie, of Bainbridge; her brothers, James W. Matthews, Remus E. Matthews and his wife, Wanda, all of Bainbridge and Ralph D. Matthews and his companion, Lee, of Fayetteville; her loving grandchildren, Summer Boyd, Parker Boyd, McKay G. Wells, Preston Griffin, Amber and Adam McLane all of Bainbridge, and Sabrina Cannon of Thomasville; her loving great-grandchildren, Lynnleigh Wells, Savannah Haire and Samuel Haire all of Bainbridge, and Andrew Cannon and Matthew Cannon of Thomasville. Julia was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, John L. Boyd; her daughter, Shari L. Boyd Griffin; and her brother, Sydney Matthews.

The family would like to express a special thank you to her loving caregiver, Teresa Tate, and Gentiva Hospice (Kindred Care) of Bainbridge.