Boyd Hillwertz is a Montview member who may have discovered the Fountain of Youth. He will soon be turning 90, but he is not acting like it. He is playing pickleball several times a week, downhill skiing (when there is snow) and going on 20-mile bike rides routinely.

Boyd was born in Oak Park, Illinois and in his early years, grew up bilingual due to spending time with his Swedish grandparents. His parents, Boyd and his sister, moved to Portland, Oregon when he was five years old. Boyd’s father was a renowned custom tailor whose suits earned awards at tailoring conventions. His mother taught piano and organ lessons. Boyd’s childhood was spent riding bikes, playing softball and football, playing the violin and piano and exploring with friends. The family’s holiday celebrations continued Swedish traditions, baking ginger cookies – Pepparkakor and buttery, Swedish Tea cookies, having Glogg (mulled wine) to drink, going to church services at their Presbyterian Church and having friends over. His dad would play the accordion and his mom the piano.

Boyd became so accomplished as a musician that at age 14 he was invited to play 2^nd violin with the Portland Symphony Orchestra. Music has always been an important part of his life. He enjoyed athletics since his youth; he played softball with his church league and went on to play with the community league. He had a batting average of 470. At Lewis and Clark College, he played football until injuries sidelined him. He raced on the college ski team, taught skiing and worked for years on the Ski Patrol at Mt. Hood.

College was interrupted when Boyd went into the Air Force. He was stationed at Travis Air Force Base in northern California and worked for four years in the dental clinic at the base. He became quite proficient doing basic dental procedures before leaving the service. He returned to the University of Oregon to finish his degree. Having become acquainted with the medical field, he applied to Upjohn Pharmaceuticals and was hired as a representative to work in the Denver area.  Boyd, always interested in learning more about subjects, pursued additional training and understanding of cardiac problems in order to work more effectively with the cardiac specialists at St. Anthony’s Hospital.

Boyd loved living in Denver, married, had two children and decided to build the first passive solar house in Evergreen, Colorado in the 1970s, not far from North Turkey Creek. His research paid off and the design worked extremely well along with bringing them closer to nature. He and his family lived there for 30 years until he moved down to Denver. Boyd was promoted to become the Manager of Upjohn’s Consumer Products Division for a 10-state area. Boyd’s outgoing nature and ability to establish new procedures and sales approaches brought success and a growing network of customers, ultimately gaining recognition from the leadership in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Although other job offers and promotions came his way, his love of the west and Colorado kept him here.

Boyd’s travels took him to Montana frequently and he became a collector of Charlie Russell bronzes and art of current Western painters and sculptors. His house in Evergreen was a virtual museum of bronze sculptures and paintings.  Although he downsized when he moved to Denver, he brought many of his favorite sculptures and paintings which grace his home. He continues to journey to Great Falls, Montana to attend the annual fund raiser for the C. M. Russell Museum where he meets artists and old friends.

Boyd has two children, two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. His daughter, Kim, is a Pharmacist in Rangely, Colorado and son, Bruce, lives near Knoxville, Tennessee and owns nine Sonic drive-in restaurants. For the past 25 years, Boyd has been very close friends with Kathlynne Smith, a Montview member who first introduced him to Montview. Boyd and Kathleen attend church every Sunday.  

Boyd’s love of athletics – downhill skiing, biking, pickle ball, tennis and golf – have continued his entire life. He enjoys season tickets to the symphony, reading, woodworking and learning new things. He even made a classic grandfather clock.  After meeting an Ollie instructor whose class in economics impressed him, Boyd took all the Ollie classes the instructor taught. 

Boyd shared that his grandmother lived to be 101 and both his parents lived to be 96, so he figured that he better stay active to enjoy all the years ahead of him.  Boyd’s life has been enriched by his priority to remain physically and mentally active, along with the value he places on personal relationships, maintaining friendships and being with others. One of the unwavering expectations for all employees at Upjohn was to be honest and never exaggerate the truth. Boyd feels that that particular expectation was consistent with the values from his parents and family and one that has guided him for 90 years.

– Submitted by Brooke Durland and Boyd Hillwertz