Robert B. "Bob" Boyd, 89, of Athens, died Thursday morning, Nov. 10, 2005, at Athens Regional Medical Center. A son of the late William R. and Sally Pace Boyd, he was a native of Covington, TN, and a former resident of Chattanooga and the Washington DC area. He was a member of Sweetwater First Presbyterian Church, and was a former employee with the TVA and had served on the Federal Power Commission. He is preceded in death by his wife, Bobbie Smith Boyd.
Survivors include one son, Robert C. "Buzz" Boyd of Fayetteville, Ga; one granddaughter, Kim Von Drehle; one grandson, R. David Boyd; 6 great-grandchildren; and two sisters and one brother-in-law, Mary Will and James Mays of Mechanicsville, Va., and Doris Boyd of Memphis.
Bob was a member of the MCARC when it was in it's infancy, known then as the Athens Area Amateur Radio Club. Bob was instrumental in helping the club grow to what it is today. He was an avid experimenter, and worked digital modes using Commodore computer equipment, building many of the interfaces and other equipment he needed.