Eula Bell Irby Boyd

Eula Irby Boyd, beloved wife of Robert Boyd and mother of Priscilla, Barbara, Nesi, and Teresa, passed away peacefully on June 15, 2026, and is now resting safely in the arms of our Lord.

Born on August 9, 1939, Eula was a caregiver in every sense of the word. She cared for patients during her career, cared for her family, cared for her church as a pastor’s wife, and cared for others through the countless handmade gifts she shared throughout her life.

Eula was born in Bullock Creek, South Carolina, the firstborn child of Ernest Irby and Mary Bell Irby. As a young girl, she moved with her family to Rock Hill, South Carolina. She graduated from Emmett Scott High School and later earned certifications as a CNA and EKG Technician. Eula spent her entire career caring for others through her work at York General Hospital and Piedmont Medical Center.

As a single parent, Eula spent most of her time providing for and caring for her four daughters. She was hardworking and sacrificed more than we will ever know just for the basics; a roof over their heads, food on the table, and clothes on their backs. Getting to witness each of her daughters grow into hardworking and successful women made Eula incredibly proud. Raising four daughters largely on her own was no small task, but she met the challenge with strength, determination, and faith.

At a very young age, Eula’s grandmother taught her how to sew by hand. Over the years, she learned how to use a sewing machine and used that gift to make clothes for herself and her four girls. Eula’s generosity extended beyond the Carolinas. She participated in a United Way project sewing clothing for dolls sent as Christmas gifts to girls in Africa. She and other volunteers, each working from their homes, helped dress more than 1,900 dolls. Eula’s dedication was recognized in a feature story in the Evening Herald newspaper.

Eula was known for her giving heart. Handmade gifts were her favorite way to show love, and quilting became her ministry to family, friends, and even strangers. Over the years, she created hundreds of quilts, most of which she gave away. As Alzheimer’s gradually stole her abilities, her quilts became smaller and simpler. When she could no longer operate a sewing machine, she returned to the basics—hand sewing with a needle and thread. She would carefully stitch those little pieces together and beam with pride at what she had created.

At the age of 68, Eula married Rev. Robert Boyd. For the first time in our lives, we saw Mom truly content. The joy they shared was evident to everyone who knew them, and seeing her so happy was a gift to her family. Eula was proud to serve alongside her husband as a pastor’s wife and did so until her health no longer allowed her to attend church.

Eula was preceded in death by her parents, Ernest Irby and Mary Bell Irby. She leaves behind a legacy of love, held tenderly in the heart of her devoted husband, Robert Boyd. She is remembered with gratitude by her beloved children, who carry her strength and her smile within them, Priscilla Davis (Ron), Barbara Allen (Vince), Nesi McDonald Watkins, and Teresa Truesdale (Bobby). Her loving siblings, bound together by memories that time cannot erase, Littleton Irby, Marianne McGee, Betty Robinson (John), Rosia Irby, Regeana Phillips (Anthony), Willie James, Ernest Josh Wylie, and Dyanne Wylie-Sherrill. Her precious grandchildren, great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild, the joy of her later years. Her husband’s children whom she embraced as her own, and a host of nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends, each one touched by her kindness, each one carrying a piece of her light forward.