City of Santa Maria
Santa Maria, California
Proclamation
WHEREAS, Patricia “Patty” Rice Boyd, born in 1920, was the granddaughter of Florence and W.H. Rice, who were among the early settlers of the Santa Maria Valley; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Boyd graduated from Santa Maria High School and attended Santa Maria Junior College before graduating from San Jose State College with a degree in music; and
WHEREAS, she returned to Santa Maria where she began teaching piano privately and later joined the faculty of Allan Hancock College, where she taught advanced piano; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Boyd taught piano into her late eighties to generations of music students for well over six decades and continued her involvement with the college until her death at the age of 91; and
WHEREAS, in addition to her teaching, Ms. Boyd was a consummate supporter of the arts in Santa Maria. She served on the board of the Santa Maria Symphony Society and as a regular attendee and patron for PCPA Theaterfest productions, and
WHEREAS, upon her death in 2012, Ms. Boyd left Allan Hancock College a bequest of $13 million, which was one of the largest gifts to a California Community College up to that time, and
WHEREAS, $10 million of the gift was designated to provide for a musical performance hall, an d the AHC Foundation Board of Directors grew the gift to a total of $15 million, and
WHEREAS, the additional funds established a $2 million endowment for the music program and $1 million to support PCPA, and
WHEREAS, Ms. Boyd was a respected and inspirational leader in the community who, by all accounts, taught her students much more than how to play piano;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, ALICE M. PATINO, Mayor of the City of Santa Maria hereby proclaim August 15, 2023 as
“Patty Boyd Day”
in the City of Santa Maria, and encourage all Santa Marians to remember her long -lasting contributions to the community , including to Allan Hancock College , whose new recital hall was completed this year.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and have caused the Seal of the City of Santa Maria to be affixed hereto this 15th day of August, 2023.
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Mayor Alice M. Patino