Hal Thomas Boyles

hal boyles

December 22, 1922 ~ March 16, 2013


Resided in: Decatur, GA

Dr. Hal Thomas Boyles of Atlanta died on Saturday, March 16. Born on December 22, 1922 in Dallas, North Carolina, he was the son of Dr. A.V. and Frances Boyles. Hal was predeceased by his brother Dr. Jack L. Boyles and his sister Nan Pearson. He is survived by his wife Martha of Atlanta; his sister Prue Dr. Bud Luers of Grand Isle, NE; his two sons, Don Cathie of Decatur and Gary Sallie of Duluth; and two grandchildren, Mark and Holly Boyles.
The valedictorian of his high school, Hal attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and then graduated Emory University Dental School in March of 1946. Three months later, he married Martha Chapman and joined his father and brother’s dental practice in North Carolina. During the Korean War, Hal served the Army, Navy and Marines as a Captain and dentist.
After the War, Hal and Martha settled in Atlanta, where he established his dental practice at Tower Place in Buckhead until retiring 1993. When not caring for patients, Hal enjoyed traveling with the family across the U.S. He and Martha also took numerous excursions all over Europe and to parts of South and Central America, Africa, and Asia. On a solo trip to Alaska, Hal hired a bush pilot to drop him at a secluded spot in the wilderness, where he pitched a tent and camped. Hal, too, became a pilot. After surprising his family by announcing, out of the blue, that he had earned his small aircraft license, he went on to obtain his commercial pilot’s license just for fun. An athlete, he was a champion gymnast in high school and later took up tennis. He continued to perform backflips on the trampoline and play tennis at Bitsy Grant Tennis Center well into his 70s. Hal further pursued a number of other interests, including gardening, SCUBA diving, fishing, and sailing, and he taught himself to navigate by the stars using a sextant. He loved having a project, such as hand grinding a telescope lens until it worked perfectly, restoring a baby grand player piano and playing the instrument beautifully, and setting up a woodworking shop in his basement, where he produced vases, boxes and bowls with intricate inlays. Hal had an insatiable thirst for learning along with the intelligence and fortitude to master any challenge. Nevertheless, he was a modest man who did not bother to introduce himself as “doctor” to anyone but his patients.
With all of his interests, Hal most enjoyed family events, especially those involving his grandchildren. He also loved taking long walks around Chastain Park with Martha and Muffin, their beloved Havanese.
The family will have a private memorial service, and, in lieu of flowers, suggest making a contribution to Crossroads Hospice, 1957 Lakeside Pkwy, #500, Tucker, GA 30084 or to a charity of your choice.

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