Walter T. Boyd III, 77

Walter Thomas “Tom” Boyd III, a skilled mechanic, longtime Truro resident, and grandfather of 11, died on Nov. 7, 2025, at the Pavilion Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Hyannis, Massachusetts. The cause was complications of a stroke. He was 77.

“He had this huge heart, and he would give his friends or his family the shirt off his back,” said his daughter, Rebecca. “I could call him anytime and he would do anything for us — and he did, often.” 

Tom was born in Nashua, on Oct. 6, 1948, to Dorothy Isabel Kimball Boyd and Walter Thomas Boyd Jr. “Junie.” But he spent his formative years in Truro, Massachusetts, next door to the home of his grandfather — Dorothy’s father, George “Dode” Perkins Kimball — on Ballston Beach. Tom attended Truro Central School and Nauset High School; when his grandfather died, his house was sold to the Coast Guard, and Tom’s family moved to Eastham. 

In 1965, Tom met Pauline Belanger, who became his high school sweetheart. Her family owned PJ’s (named for Pauline and her sister Judy) on Route 6 in Wellfleet. They married in 1969 and had two children, Rebecca and Kevin. 

"Dad worked hard and played hard, too. He often quoted something that Sam Baker of Holderness told him. ‘We’re not here for a long time. We’re here for a good time,’" said Rebecca.

From a young age, Tom had a deep and enduring love for boats and owned several, including a small one that his father gave him when he was 8-10 years of age, and that he enjoyed taking out on the Pamet River in Truro, for fishing. He was also crazy for cars, owning at least one late-1950s model Chevrolet, and for hockey — both as a fan of the Boston Bruins and as a player. He played hockey so often in his 20s, in fact, that Rebecca and Kevin thought he was a member of the Boston Bruins.

Tom worked most of his life as an auto mechanic, but in 1977, he tried his hand as a trucker, purchasing a Kenworth semi and moving the family to Colorado. They relocated back east after two years, in 1979, to Holderness, Tom and Pauline divorced in 1985.

In 1988, Tom married Barbara Gagne and became stepfather to her two children, Ty and Kelley. He became especially close to their young children during the course of his marriage to Barbara. Barbara’s son Ty Gagne, who was 19 when Tom entered their lives, remembers him as a “happy, positive, energetic person,” he said. “He loved being around family and friends, and his laugh was infectious. I can still hear it now, decades later.” Tom eventually taught Ty’s oldest son how to skate and play hockey, and it became a lifelong passion for him. “I tie it all back to the commitment he made to our son,” said Ty. Tom and Barbara divorced in 1994.

Tom married again, to longtime family friend Martha Tracey, in 1995, and they lived in Falmouth for the rest of his days. They had several sport fishing boats together and used them for tuna sportfishing and even lived on one once for an entire year. Walter worked as a boat mechanic at several marinas including East Marine, where he became service manager. “Whether working on cars or boats, he was known for his ability to understand and restore anything with an engine,” said Rebecca, adding that he earned his U.S. Merchant Marine officer license at age 56.

Tom suffered a stroke in 2020, but worked hard, with Martha’s help, to regain strength and mobility, and to stay positive. A diagnosis of cancer in April of 2025, was a big setback, said Rebecca, who remembered him as a very affectionate and loving father. 

“He had a lot of friends because you never had to wonder where you stood with him,” she said. “He was a fun, easygoing, and honest person.” 

Tom is survived by his wife, Martha Tracey, of Falmouth; daughter Rebecca Boyd and fiancé Tom of Boulder, Colorado; son Kevin Boyd and partner Mimi of Boulder; stepson Sean Tracey and wife Mary of North Charleston, South Carolina; stepdaughter Aileen Railey and husband Kenny of Cumberland, Rhode Island; stepson Ty Gagne and wife Debbie of Hampton; stepdaughter Kelley Gagne Mayhew and husband Peter of New Hampshire; brother-in-law Tom Dickert of Harwich; niece Kim Deane of Eastham; nephews Rafe Emond of Wellfleet and Seth Emond of Connecticut; former wife Pauline Belanger Boyd Sargeant of Longmont, Colorado; and grandchildren Olivia, Nadia, Abigail, Isabella, Ava, Eliana, Sean Michael, Kevin, Gabrielle, Colin, and Tristan. He also leaves many friends including Joe Francis, Franny Francis, Forrie Quinn, Carol McCabe, Dean and Rachel Yeaton, Ozzie and Laura Osborne, Preston and Diane Anderson, and all those at East Marine in Falmouth, Massachusetts.

Tom was predeceased by his brother, George Kimball “Kim” Boyd of Truro; his sister, Jacqueline “Jackie” Ruth Boyd of Eastham; and a beloved nephew, Josh Emond of Truro. 

Dear Tom, Dad, Pop: Thank you for all that you were and all that you gave.