John J. Boyle was born in Beverly, MA on September 16, 1932. He was the son of the late John and Frances (Mullin) Boyle. Over the years, John resided in Beverly, Salem, and North Andover.
He was a graduate of Beverly High School, class of 1952, and received a Bachelor of Education degree from Salem State College in 1956.
John’s career in education as a teacher and administrator lasted over 35 years. His first teaching position was in the Newburyport Public Schools. John taught in the port city for five years before assuming a teaching assignment in the English Department at Andover High School where he taught for 15 years. During his tenure at Andover High he was an avid supporter of Andover Athletics and served as the director and producer of the Senior class play. Comedian and late-night talk show host Jay Leno was one of “Boyle’s Scholars”.
John served as a dedicated member of the Beverly School Committee from 1956 to 1976. When first elected, John was the youngest school committee member in the state of Massachusetts.
Boyle returned to his beloved Beverly in the 1980’s, first as an English teacher and later as Assistant Principal at Briscoe Middle School. In addition to his responsibilities as an educator, John was one of the organizers of the annual Beverly High School 50th reunion breakfast and contributed generously in both time and money to a myriad of civic and charitable projects in the greater Beverly community.
He was also an extremely successful entrepeneur, owning both the Beverly Dairy Queen and the Butcher Boy restaurant in North Andover.
John was a passionate pet owner. His beloved dogs Ernest and Ernest, Jr. were treated as canine royalty, eating home cooked meals from china plates.
John retired from education in 1999. His retirement party at Danversport Yacht Club was celebrated by over 350 of his friends. John spent many of this retirement days enjoying life with his special friend Diana McKanas.
John Boyle never missed a chance to show support or appreciation by taking the time to attend a retirement party, funeral, wedding, or birthday party. He was always the first to send a kind letter in time of sorrow or celebration. John’s guidance, support and generosity helped thousands of students during his illustrious career. He embodied the famous words of Abraham Lincoln: “A man never stands so tall as when he stoops to help a child”.
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