Kenneth Boice McCain (Boice) was born on April 22, 1938 in Perth Amboy, New Jersey to Ken McCain and Mary Richards McCain. He attended Colonia High School and Rutgers Preparatory School continuing to Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania where he earned a bachelor’s degree in metallurgical engineering, later earning his MBA from the University of Delaware.
Boice started his career as a metallurgical engineer for Crucible Steel in Syracuse, New York. While there he was part of a team developing and producing titanium rods with extremely exacting standards, later discovering those rods were the rivets for the then still very secret SR-71 Blackbird. While working at Crucible, he made the best decision of his life and said “yes” to a blind date with Hartwick College nursing student, Phyllis Hayden. Boice and Phyllis were married on November 24, 1962, in Bronxville, New York.
After their time in Syracuse, Boice and Phyllis moved to Seattle where Boice took a job with Boeing. There his team developed the landing gear for the now iconic 747. In 1971, Boice and his family of five moved to Delaware for a job at International Nickel Company. From there he accepted a position at Hercules eventually moving onto the failure analysis team. There he found his niche and rapidly became a well-known expert and continued freelance failure analysis work for companies around the country. Hercules transferred Boice to their plastic film plant in Terre Haute, Indiana where Boice and Phyllis would remain for the next 42 years.
Boice enjoyed many sports and activities as a youth and continued that as an adult. He was an avid handball player, rock climber and mountain climber conquering several peaks around the U.S. However, running was always his love, completing several marathons and a multitude of shorter races. He kept running into his late 70’s when he switched to walking and continued to walk at least three miles a day well into his 80’s.
Boice was also a very active volunteer in the community. He worked with numerous organizations including serving terms as chairman of the Wabash Valley Chapter of the United Way and president of the Vigo County chapter of the Mental Health Association. He was active in his church throughout his life, including 42 years as an active member of St. Jude Catholic Church. He enjoyed singing with the choir and especially the annual performance of Handel’s Messiah.
Surviving him are his wife of almost 62 amazing years, Phyllis Hayden McCain; brothers, George McCain and wife, Jill, Harold “Hal” McCain and wife, Marty; children, Keith McCain and wife, Kim, Charlotte Czmiel and husband, Tim, and Stuart McCain and wife, Lorrine; grandchildren, Jonathan Cowdin, Katie McKerley and husband, Josh, Kieran Boice McCain, Caleb Kelley Richards, Kris McCain, Hayden Covello, Nicholas Covello, and Eva McCain; great grandchildren, Levi McKerley and Isabella McKerley; and one annoying little mutt: Midnight.
He was predeceased by his parents Ken and Mary McCain.
A funeral service will be held at 4:00 p.m., Friday, November 22, 2024 at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home in Allen, Texas. Interment will be held at Ridgeview Memorial Park following the service. You can watch the service live at https://celebrationoflife.tv/blog/k-boice-mccain-jr.
The family will receive guests for a visitation from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Thursday evening at the funeral home.