Doreen West Boyd

Doreen West Boyd, 90, a long-time resident of Mineral Wells, Texas, passed away on March 20, 2023. Services will be at St. Luke’s Anglican Church, Mineral Wells, Texas, on March 25, 2023, at 2:00 PM.  Visitation will be at Baum-Carlock-Bumgardner Funeral Home between 6:00-8:00 PM, March 24, 2023.

Doreen was born in Liverpool, England on July 29, 1932. Doreen was seven when England declared war on Germany and Liverpool became the target of relentless bombing attacks.  She would tell stories of hiding in the bomb shelter in the back garden of her family’s row house on Max Road.  Doreen’s maternal grandparents were killed in what was known as the May Blitz in 1941, when a bomb struck their home before they had time to get into the bomb shelter. 

Doreen’s father, Harry, served in the British Navy during the War, just as her grandfather had during the First World War.  Her grandfather was killed in World War I when the ship he was on was sunk by a German torpedo.  Her father’s ship, HMS Charybdis, was also struck by a German torpedo in 1943, and it sunk with loss of most of the crew—but her father, and approximately 100 others, survived surrounded by burning fire in the water until he and the other survivors were eventually rescued.  He later served on an American warship, where the food and accommodations were better than he had experienced on a British ship.  But he also wanted to make sure these overfed and overpaid Americans did not date his daughter. When he returned home, he told Doreen not to date an American serviceman. 

Doreen failed to heed her father’s advice.  After the war, Doreen met and began dating a young air force serviceman named Doyle West, who was stationed at Burtonwood Air Force Base just outside of Liverpool.  Her Dad and Mum eventually took to the American and Doreen and Doyle agreed to marry—the plan was to do so in Liverpool, but Doyle received orders that transferred him back to the US.  So, the plan changed. Instead, Doyle completed the paperwork, went through the process for Doreen to immigrate, and saved enough to pay for a ticket on an ocean liner to get Doreen to New York in February 1952.  He then hitchhiked to New York, met Doreen at the dock, and they then took a Greyhound bus to Mineral Wells, Texas—they were married when they arrived in Mineral Wells on February 29, 1952 (this became a family joke that their anniversary only occurred once every four years). 

Doreen became an air force wife and raised three children at air force bases around the world. Upon Doyle’s eventual retirement from the air force, Doreen and Doyle returned to Mineral Wells. In 1988, Doyle passed away.  Four years later, Doreen met and married a local rancher, Carl Boyd.  Carl became a second father to the West children, and Doreen and Carl enjoyed 16 years together until Carl’s death in 2008.

Her family called Doreen the “Matriarch.” She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Glenn and Christy West of Lake Kiowa, Texas, daughter and son-in law, Linda and Jerry Lubrano of Lake Kiowa, Texas, and daughter, Sue Lamb of Mineral Wells, Texas; step-sons, Larry and Marilyn Boyd of Wellton, Arizona, and Keith Boyd and Vicky Kidwell of Mineral Wells; grandchildren, Stephen and Ashley West of Dallas, Texas, David and Erin West of Frisco, Texas, Rebekah and Nathan Lyons of Dallas, Texas, Michael and Tara Lubrano of Campbell, California, Leah and Paul Weme of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, Bethany and Jesse Olson of Bridgeport, Texas, Nicole (Nikki) and Tim Hood of Mineral Wells, Texas, and Kim and Cody Pendley of Godley, Texas; great-grandchildren, Catherine West of Dallas, Texas, Lucy, Daphne, and Hadley West of Frisco, Texas, Odin, Elodie and Birdie Lyons of Dallas, Texas, Alyson Lubrano and Orlando Marquez of Henderson, Nevada, Lauryn Lubrano of Campbell, California, Jordan Weme of Denver, Colorado, Sam Weme of Stillwater, Oklahoma, Ben and Claire Weme of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, Gracelyn and Jerry Olson of Bridgeport, Texas, Morrison Lamb, Emory Hood, and Lilly Hood of Mineral Wells, Texas, and Ashleigh and Christopher Sinku of Godley, Texas; great-great-grandchildren, Isabella and Sofia Marquez of Henderson, Nevada; sister, Linda Rushton of Mobberley, England; nephew, John and Oyenmwen Rushton of Lagos, Nigeria; grandnephews and grandniece, Barry Rushton and Harry Rushton of Lagos, Nigeria, and Charles and Annabel Rushton of Mobberley England; and her close friend, Delia Medina and her family, Miguel Borjas, Aldair Borjas, and Derrick Borjas.

Doreen was a long-time member and served for many years as the treasurer of St. Luke’s Anglican Church in Mineral Wells.  In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the St. Luke's Anglican Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 759, Mineral Wells, Texas 76068.  Special thanks to the wonderful staff at Lakewell Place in Mineral Wells, where Doreen lived during the last year, and to Renew Home Health and Beyond Faith Hospice, both in Mineral Wells, for their compassionate care.