Torri “Carol” Tyler Boyd, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and dear friend, passed peacefully into heaven on October 11, 2026 at the age of 81. Guided by a deep Christian faith that served as her north star, Carol faced Parkinson’s with remarkable strength, sustained by both her faith and her love for family. A passionate advocate for those living with Parkinson’s disease, Carol was an active speaker at events in Washington, D.C., including those hosted by the Michael J. Fox Foundation, where she championed increased community programs that highlight the power of exercise.
Carol shared a beautiful love story with her husband, Tommy. They met by chance on a blind date during the one night Tommy stopped in Washington, D.C., while traveling from Los Angeles, California, to a college reunion in Lexington, Virginia. Once they met, they were virtually inseparable for the next 53 years, including a period of dating while living on opposite coasts. After marrying, they settled in Alexandria, Virginia.
A talented artist, creative and adventurous teacher, and, above all, a devoted mother and cherished wife, Carol and Tommy raised two children, Brooke Warner Boyd (engaged to Carrington Williams III) and Tyler Randolph Boyd (Fleming James), both children reside in Richmond, Virginia.
Carol was preceded in death by her parents, Richard Smith Tyler, M.D., and Torre Atkinson Tyler (Cincinnati, Ohio), as well as her brother, Richard Frederic “Toby” Tyler (Annapolis, Md.). She is survived by her husband, Thomas Marshall Boyd; her children, and her two beloved grandchildren, Warner Randolph Boyd (5) and Pearson Taliaferro Boyd (3).
Born on April 30, 1945 in Cincinnati, Ohio, Carol attended Miss Doherty’s College Preparatory School for Girls (now The Seven Hills School), graduating from Bennett College in Millbrook, New York, as well as the University of Cincinnati, with a degree in Fine Arts. She went on to pursue her MFA at American University in Washington, D.C.
Carol was devoted to her beloved Four-Way Lodge Camp for Girls on Torch Lake, Michigan. A camper there from 1957 to 1962, she maintained lifelong friendships and continued coming to summer reunions on Torch Lake until she was physically unable to attend in recent years.
A gifted artist, Carol created original painted posters commemorating each reunion, which she generously shared with fellow attendees. Her wide-ranging illustrations and creative works were widely admired, and many who encountered them sought copies for their own collections. Today, her artwork can be found not only in many homes, but also among the charities, historic places, and communities she loved so dearly.
Carol’s favorite place on earth was the small hamlet of Leland, on the shores of northern Lake Michigan. On nearby Lake Leelanau, she combined her love of sailing with her artistic creativity by producing and filming an original “Gold Motor” skit for the annual Leland Yacht Club’s “Bar-B-Cruise” in the 1960s. When asked what she loved most about Leland, Carol always recalled three things: lying on her back on the dock beneath a star-filled sky during its annual meteor shower, waking in the middle of the night to swim while the Aurora Borealis danced above the moonlit water, and celebrating the close-knit community she cherished at the weekly Leland Community Sunday Night Sing.
Her sparkle, humor, warmth, and, above all, her heartfelt smile will live on through the many friends and loved ones whose lives she touched.
A private burial ceremony will soon be held in the family plot at Ware Episcopal Church, in Gloucester, Va., followed at a future date by a celebration of her life, also at Ware, where she and Tommy were married in 1976 and where she was baptized, alongside her daughter, Brooke, in 1978. As an avid, lifelong sailor, in lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in her name to the Leland Yacht Club Foundation (https://lelandyachtclubfoundation.com/index.cfm) and/or the Michael J. Fox Parkinson’s Foundation (https://give.michaeljfox.org/).
Services under the direction of Hogg Funeral Home.