Marshall Edward Boykin

Marshall Edward Boykin, Jr., 65, died Wednesday, February 21, 2007 at his home in Abilene with his children present. His memorial service will be Saturday, February 24 at 2:00 p.m. at the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest, 602 Meander, Abilene. The Rev. Scott Mayer will officiate. Inurnment will follow in the columbarium of the church. Services are under the direction of The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road. Marshall Edward Boykin, Jr. was born in Abilene, Texas, on January 22, 1942 to Marshall Edward Boykin, Sr., and Jimmie Norton Boykin. He grew up in Abilene and graduated from Abilene High School in 1960. Boykin graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1964 with a degree in Business Administration. Soon afterward, he married Anna Leslie Wood of San Augustine, Texas. The couple moved to Abilene where Eddie joined the family's business, Boykin Properties. Over the years, Boykin enjoyed a wide range of interests, hobbies, and business endeavors. He was actively involved with the Abilene Zoological Society, serving as Treasurer for 23 years. He was a current member of the Abilene Planning and Zoning Commission. He served on the leadership committee of the National Federation of Independent Business, and was the nominating contact for the Abilene-area NFIB scholarship. His community service contributions included a past chairmanship of the Abilene and West Texas Better Business Bureau, the Texas Workforce Commission, as well as the Abilene Fine Arts Museum (now the Grace Museum). Boykin also served on the board of the Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Noah Project. Eddie Boykin was an active member of the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest, currently serving as head of the Usher Committee. Eddie was preceded in death by his parents, Marshall and Jimmie Boykin, and his wife, Anna Leslie Wood Boykin. He is survived by his three children, Marshall Edward Boykin III, Kathryn Wood Boykin, and Sheryl Boykin Jenkins; son-in-law, Hunter Jenkins and grandsons Hunter Jr. and Marshall Jenkins; brother and sister-in-law, Jim and Jeannette Boykin of La Jolla, California, sister-in-law and brother-in-law Betty and John Oglesbee of San Augustine, Texas, and numerous nieces and nephews. Memorials may be made to the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest, 602 Meander, Abilene, Texas; Abilene Zoological Society, 2070 Zoo Lane Nelson Park, Abilene, TX 79698 or the donor's favorite charity.