Deacon Climmie Lee Boyer Jr.

When Climmie L. Boyer, Jr., was three or four years old, his mother sent him to school on Welbourne Avenue with his older sister, Pinkie, because his mom had to go to work. He was not old enough to go to school, but did not know his way back home. The teacher agreed to let him stay in school for one day, but because he knew all the answers to the questions in class and kept raising his hand the teacher agreed to let him come back the next day. For the next 12 years of school, he would be a stellar student. Upon graduation from high school, he was told that college would be good, but being the second oldest of eight children, he knew how important it was to family needed him to get a job and help put food on the table for the rest of his brothers and sisters. He didn’t change words, but got a job shining shoes down on Park Avenue. Shining shoes and washing cars, while honorable and financially supportive, left something to be desired. He yearned for more. After watching his brother, James, go to college in 1952; Horace go to college in 1953 and Minnie go to college in 1955, he said, “Wait a minute, I’m smarter than all of them so I’m going to college.” With the support of his loving wife, Juanita, he put away his shoe shine kit and car washing gear and became a 25- year old freshman at Edward Waters College in Jacksonville. He shined and washed his way through college. He reminded us that he received his college degree at the same time as Joe, but before Timothy and Edythe. At his passing, he held the following credentials: Climmie L. Boyer, Jr. Diploma, Hungerford High School Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics, Bethune Cookman University Master of Arts in Teaching, Rollins College Certificate of Merit in Mathematics, Louisiana State University Further Study: Michigan State University University of Illinois University of Florida Mr. Boyer was a mathematics instructor at Jones High School, Orlando, and an adjunct professor at Nova Southeastern University and Rollins College. His longest tenure was as Supervisor of Mathematics for Seminole County Schools, from which he retired in 1992 after 30 years of service. He was a licensed real estate magnate, acquiring considerable properties in Eatonville and Winter Park. He was a member of Flowers Temple Church of God in Christ in Winter Park all his life, serving as senior deacon and chairman of the Board of Trustees. He served on the Executive Board of the Depugh Nursing Home and the Welbourne Avenue Day Care Center. Clem Boyer, affectionately known as 'Junior' by his family, and later as 'Papa', when he became a grandfather, was the patriarch of the Boyer family and was highly respected and admired by his brother and sisters, James, Minnie and Edythe. He was known for giving you the shirt off his back and finding you a job, even if you were a stranger. He was married 63 years to his high school sweetheart, Juanita, with whom Climmie L. Boyer, Jr. he shared one son, Erik; a daughter-in-law, Shannon, and four grandchildren: Brittany, Alexis, Erik, II, and Jeremiah. Deacon Boyer lived by the motto, "If I can help somebody along the way, then my living is not in vain."

Tributes

Deacon Climmie Lee Boyer Jr.

January 8, 1932 - February 7, 2017