Past Rotary International President Bill Boyd, whose dedication to Rotary spanned nearly four decades, died on 22 January.

Boyd, a member of the Rotary Club of Pakuranga, Auckland, New Zealand, served as Rotary's president in 2006-07. The theme he chose for that year asked Rotary members to Lead the Way in improving their communities.

"We are the ones who ask, Why not us?" Boyd said in the president's message in the July 2006 issue of The Rotarian, now called Rotary magazine. "We are the ones with the skills and the desires to build a better future. And we are the ones who must Lead the Way."

In that message, Boyd also stressed the need to change and innovate: "In a world where so much is in flux and so little can be predicted with certainty, Rotary cannot afford complacency. Challenges are constant; so are opportunities. Today, we need every Rotarian more than ever, because in our diversity lies our strength."

Well-loved and respected both in Rotary and beyond, Boyd was honored with the Queen's Service Order for Community Service in the 2007 New Year Honours List and became a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2013. Both Boyd and his wife, Lorna, were honored with the Royce Abbey Award in 2024.

"Having had the privilege of working closely with him, I can say Bill was truly an inspiration to all who knew him," says John Hewko, Rotary's general secretary and CEO. "Bill's legacy reflects his unwavering dedication to humanitarian service, his relentless efforts to eradicate polio, and his commitment to strengthening Rotary's global impact."

Jennifer Jones, 2022-23 RI president, recalls observing Boyd's leadership style and masterful diplomacy while they worked on strengthening Rotary's brand about 15 years ago. "As anyone who has been through a branding exercise will know, it's not an easy process and it can even become contentious," Jones says. "It required a special leader who all parties trusted. This was Bill Boyd."

"He will remain one of the most principled, kind, authentic leaders I have ever known," she adds.

Boyd was especially interested in literacy, a passion that stemmed from his childhood as an avid reader. When his father left the grocery business and bought a bookstore, Boyd wanted to quit school to work there. But his father insisted he complete the third year of secondary school first. He did, and then left school at age 15 and went to work. He said working in the bookstore was a decision he never regretted.

In his mid-20s, Boyd was offered a management position at Gordon and Gotch, New Zealand's leading magazine distributor at the time. He remained with the company until he retired as general manager in 1995, after which he devoted even more time to Rotary.

As part of a local literacy project, he and Lorna would often read to students at a primary school in South Auckland. As president, he visited more than 40 countries and advocated strongly for literacy, among Rotary's other causes, as well as the organization's top priority, eradicating polio.

Boyd's many roles in Rotary include RI director (1998-2000), Rotary Foundation trustee (2008-12 and 2016-18) and trustee chair (2011-12), regional Rotary Foundation coordinator, chair of the Regional Magazine Editors Conference, chair of the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Rotary Action Group, and member and chair of a number of RI and Rotary Foundation committees: Branding, Communications, Literacy, and Programs Committee.

Boyd received The Rotary Foundation Distinguished Service Award and Citation for Meritorious Service, as well as a Distinguished Service Award from Rotary Down Under. He and Lorna also became s multiple Paul Harris Fellows, Major Donors, and members of the Bequest Society.

In addition to holding senior leadership roles, Boyd was a cherished member of the Pakuranga Rotary Club and served his club as Foundation chair as recently as 2019. Lorna was a steadfast partner throughout his time in Rotary, contributing significantly to a number of initiatives and sharing her extensive Rotary knowledge.

Bill Boyd is survived by his wife, Lorna, and their children, David, Ross, Sue (Greig), and Kathy (Dean), as well as 12 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. A memorial service to honor Boyd's life was held on 30 January in Auckland and online.