J. Boyd Page, 86, of Scottsdale, Arizona, died June 13, 2001, after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease.
He was born July 9, 1914, in Payson, Utah, the son of Jonathan S. Page III (Don) and Clara Huish Page. He moved to Arizona in 1979, after a distinguished career as scientist and educator. He graduated from Brigham Young University in 1936, where he met his wife, Helen Young Page. Subsequently he earned a Master Degree at the University of Missouri, and in 1940 he received his Ph.D. from Ohio State University. He was an Instructor in soil chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, where he was among the first to use the electron microscope in soils research. In 1943 he joined the Agronomy Department of Ohio State University as Assistant Professor, and in 1950 he was appointed Professor of Agronomy at Texas A&M University. There he became Department Chairman and later Graduate Dean, before joining Iowa State University in 1960, where he held the joint positions of Vice President for Research and Graduate Dean. He remained in these positions for 10 years and then moved to Washington, D.C., where he was President of the Council of Graduate Schools in the United States. He held this position until his retirement in 1979. In 1954, he received the Stevenson Award from the American Society of Agronomy for his research in the physics of soils. He was a fellow of that Society and of the American Association for Advancement of Science. He received distinguished alumni awards from Ohio State University and Brigham Young University. In his research, teaching and administration, he touched and influenced the lives of many students and colleagues. He also gave devoted service in numerous capacities in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In addition to his professional life, he had abiding interests in astronomy, photography and travel, which he shared with his family and acquaintances. During his retirement, he and his wife delighted in hiking and exploring in Arizona's White Mountains during extended stays at their cabin in Alpine. His life was marked by enthusiasm and good cheer, even as he battled his illness.
He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Helen; son, John B. Page, Jr. (Kay), Tempe, Arizona; daughter, Ann Birdsall (Bill), Halifax, Nova Scotia; sister, Ferne West (Allen), Salt Lake City, Utah; grandchildren, Sarah Birdsall Morrison (Gerald), Stephanie Birdsall Cahill (James), Rebecca Page, Tom Birdsall, Elizabeth Page, and great-granddaughter, Madeleine Page Cahill.
A family graveside service was held June 18, in Payson, Utah. Contributions to Alzheimer's Association, 1028 E. McDowell Road, Phoenix AZ 85006.