James "Jim" P. Boyd

The family of James (Jim) Palmer Boyd of Grafton, WI shares that he was called to his heavenly home on November 30, 2022. We trust that he has already found heaven’s perfect fishing hole and cast a line for the big one! Jim lived a long and full life, embracing life to its fullest throughout. He leaves a legacy of family and friends, skills and hobbies, and memories to last for all time.

Jim was born in Flint, MI on June 20, 1942, the second child of Orley and Phyllis (Palmer) Boyd. His earliest years were spent in the Battle Creek area with a big contingent of aunts, uncles, and cousins. The family moved to Wisconsin in his 8th grade year, following his dad’s job transfer.

Jim attended Custer High School in Milwaukee. Beyond the academics, he loved playing trombone in the band and swimming the backstroke on the swim team. He met and married first wife Judy Boehm, and the birth of their two children, Scott and Shelley, soon followed. Life created some changes, and new paths were formed; 1975 brought his second marriage to love of his life, Daun Mueske. She came with “bonus” daughter Andrea Ehm. Nephew (and “bonus son”) Mike Hanna, rounded out our newly blended family. We resided all together in a quiet residential subdivision on Milwaukee’s outskirts, and were blessed with wonderful neighbors and friends with whom many cookouts were held, cocktails shared, and events celebrated through the years.

Along the way was Jim’s career with the Milwaukee Police Department, which began in 1963 and extended through his entire working profession. He began first as a “beat cop”, patrolling the Milwaukee streets on foot, with always an eye to where the nearest call box was located, as that was the only way to request information or assistance. In time he was promoted to Detective, and later to the Vice Squad. His dedication to the citizens of Milwaukee was of utmost priority to him, and his service made it a safer place to live. Jim retired in 1994, after 31 years and 44 days (who’s counting?!?) and his partners remained dear and lifelong friends.

Throughout his career years Jim balanced the stresses of work with a plethora of hobbies, ranging from boy scouts to taxidermy to gardening and everything in between. There was literally not a deer stand, duck blind, or ice shanty he didn’t like, and the many photos and mounts are testament to his skill and success. His favorite place of all was on Lake Michigan, casting for the big catch. He was Captain of the charter boat “The Office”, and many summers were spent hosting fishing clients, often with the assistance of first mates Scott and Mike. In fact, it was on one of The Office’s charter trips where Jim and Daun met, and she was clearly the best catch of all! Jim was also an aviation enthusiast, earning his private pilot license – this allowed him to take Daun and their friends on adventurous double dates as they explored Wisconsin from the skies. He was an avid scuba diver, enjoying the underwater wonders of reefs, tropical fish, and lobster hunting in Florida, Caymans, Honduras, and beyond. He sometimes combined this with his additional interest in metal detecting, and listening for that “beep” that could signal a treasure just waiting to be found! From old coins to valuable jewelry (and invariably the junk), each was a fun adventure to discover. He also dabbled in real estate, earning his realtor license and renovating, renting, and flipping homes. On his own homefront, Jim kept an immaculate property, with the garden sowed in aligned rows, the lawn perfectly mowed, and nary a weed to be found! He valued the manual labor of us kids in this mission, so you could often find us carrying out his lengthy job list before we were excused for the day! Somewhere in here we still found time for vacations, with some of the favorites including family fishing trips to Chassell MI, RV trip to Disney World, hunting trips to Montana, and an Australian outback adventure, amongst others. Through all these years, and the grandchildren years to follow, he attended and applauded us at our wide variety of sporting events, spelling bees, choir concerts, band performances, and parades.

Jim’s goal was to be retired for at least half as long as he had worked – and he more than achieved this! Upon retirement, he and Daun moved to Cedarburg; a lovely house in an idyllic neighborhood, and the most wonderful neighbors. His newfound time allowed him to indulge in his hobbies on a full-time basis, which is exactly what he did. He transformed their new backyard into a gardened oasis, building both a pergola and gazebo, and the site for so many family and neighborhood get-togethers. His labor of love was even formally recognized, winning the Mayor’s Community Enhancement Award in 2002, for Outstanding Residential Landscaping. This was a proud accomplishment, although his knees complained from the effort. The Terri McCarthy studio, and all his wonderful friends within, provided the perfect venue for honing his artistry skills during their Wednesday jewelry classes, where he created countless works of art in the form of earrings, bracelets, and necklaces then gifted to his family and friends, who wore them with pride. He was an enthusiastic member of the Great Lakes Sport Fishing Club, and an avid trap shooter at the Saukville Gun Club. Tiring of the Wisconsin winters, Jim and Daun “snowbirded” to Florida for many cold-weather seasons, enjoying those months in the sun and warmth of Fort Myers playing cards and tipping cocktails with their good friends.

Jim was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2014, and he gave that the good battle! When this began to take its toll, he fought back with his same tenacity, enrolling in the BIG and LOUD program and learning strategies to combat and adapt. He and Daun moved to a retirement community in 2017, enjoying all its amenities, benefiting from their caring support, making wonderful new friends, and becoming killer BINGO players!

Jim’s passion throughout was Lake Michigan fishing on “Port Pride”, the Baja Cruiser he co-owned with son-in-law Chris Jushka. They spent many early mornings and late afternoons together throughout the years, with the downriggers set and all lines out trolling for the trout and salmon. In fact, just this summer Jim landed the boat’s largest fish ever, a King Salmon weighing in at 28 pounds!

His final days were spent in the tranquility of Lawlis Hospice in Mequon, WI. We send grateful thanks for their compassionate care, and have peace with the serenity of his last days, the quiet togetherness moments we had, and the long and full life we all had the blessing of sharing with him. The family wishes to also thank the ministry team from First Immanuel Lutheran Church for their years of spiritual support, as well as his amazing healthcare teams from both Aurora Advanced Healthcare and Capri Communities for the expert and kind care they devoted to him.

Jim is predeceased by his parents Orley and Phyllis Boyd. He is survived by his children Scott (Steve) Boyd with whom he shares his artistry passion, Shelley (Rod) Boyd who is a similarly amazing gardener, Andrea (Chris) Jushka who inherited his same attention to detail, and nephew/honorary son Mike (Michele) Hanna who shares his hunting expertise, beginning with those earliest bow hunting lessons. He is further survived by grandson Ryan Jushka, who inherited his musical passion playing not only trombone, but also saxophone, sousaphone, guitar, and more! He is also survived by sister Patty Peterson of San Francisco, CA, brother-in-law Lee Mueske of Three Forks, MT, great niece Erin (Josh) Osienger of Lincoln, NE, nephew Chad (Meggan) Mueske of Bozeman, MT, and many other family and friends.

And Jim is survived by his loving wife Daun, who was his lifetime muse, and she his passionate supporter. Throughout their years together he lavished her with beautiful gifts of handmade jewelry and homegrown flowers, and she likewise used her culinary skills to make the perfect cookery creations of every fish, rabbit, duck, deer, and even bear and elk! Jim and Daun were loving parents, great friends, caregivers, and soulmates.

We remember Jim for his warm heart, jolly personality, a loving teaser who above all wants to make you laugh, and to hold your hand and let you know how much he cares. The world became a better place because of him. Rest in peace, dear Jim, Dad, Grandpa, and Uncle – we’re grateful for you, and for every day we had with you. Fish on!

A celebration of Jim’s life will be held on Tuesday, December 27 at First Immanuel Lutheran Church in Cedarburg, with visitation beginning at 10am, memorial service at 11:30am, and luncheon to follow. Mueller Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be left at https://www.muellerfuneralhome.com/

Memorials in Jim’s memory are welcomed by Great Lakes Sport Fishing Club, The Parkinson’s Foundation, First Immanuel Lutheran Church, or a passionate hobby of your choice.