John Kinion Boyette

Asheville – John K. Boyette died peacefully at home on April 12, 2010. He was born to Julius K. and Maude Dunn Boyette in Johnston County, North Carolina on February 24, 1923. While serving in the Army Air Corps during World War II, he married the love of his life, Eloise Neighbors. He was employed by Life & Casualty Insurance Company, which took him to Fayetteville where John and Eloise made their life and reared their family. In the early 1950's John left Life & Casualty and started two businesses: Boyette Insurance and Realty Corp., and Fayetteville Moving & Storage, Inc. In 1992, after selling both of his businesses, John and Eloise retired to Asheville. John is survived by his wife of 65 years, Eloise Neighbors Boyette; daughter, Nancy Miller and her husband, Glenn, of Asheville, sons, Robert Boyette and his wife, Mary Charles, and Richard Boyette and his wife, Beth Fleishman, of Raleigh: five grandchildren, Katherine Griffith and her husband, Mark, of Raleigh, Page Curtin and her husband, Chris, of Menlo Park, CA, Erin Miller Lamp and her husband, Josiah, of Worcester, MA, John Miller and his wife, Meredith, of Raleigh and Rachel Boyette of Chapel Hill; four great-grandchildren, Charlie and Kee Griffith and Elizabeth and Mary Gaughan Curtin; and a sister, Maude Boyette of Newton Grove. He was predeceased by two sisters and three brothers. A Master Mason for 60 years, John is a Past Master of John Huske Anderson Lodge in Fayetteville and was active in the Shrine Club. In Asheville, he served on the board of directors of the Salvation Army, was a volunteer for Meals on Wheels and a member of First Presbyterian Church in Weaverville. The family gratefully acknowledges the special care of CarePartners Hospice and the caregivers with Comfort Keepers, who took such good care of John in his last days. A memorial service will be held at Groce Funeral Home at Lake Julian, 72 Long Shoals Road in Arden at 2 PM on Wednesday, April 14, 2010. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be made to AB Tech Community College Foundation, Boyette Family Scholarship, 340 Victoria Road, Asheville, NC 28801; Shriners Childrens Hospital, 950 W. Faris Road, Greenville, SC 29605 or to the charity of one's choice.