In Loving Memory of Bay Cove Founder Daniel C. Boynton
We are deeply saddened to report that Bay Cove's founder, Dan Boynton, passed away on July 17th after a long illness.
Dan founded Bay Cove in 1974 based on a simple principle – that each and every human being deserves respect and help in overcoming the challenges that they face. Or, as he so often put it: “There are no ‘throwaway people.’ ”
It's a cliché to refer to a person as "one of a kind," but in Dan's case, it was true. He was direct, honest, opinionated, brilliant, a true visionary, and incredibly passionate about Bay Cove. And he was open about the fact that this passion for our work grew out of challenges he struggled with in his own life, often sharing his own experiences with staff and others throughout the Bay Cove community.
In 1974, when Dan opened Andrew House - at the time, a small program in Boston for men struggling with substance use and mental illness - few would have expected it to grow into the incredible organization that Bay Cove is today. Dan was an integral part of that growth, serving as CEO for 27 years and continuing to run a range of special projects - coordinating mergers, developing our external website, and recruiting new Board members, among many others - until as recently as last year. Upon his retirement as CEO in 2001, the then newly created home of Bay Cove's Early Intervention program and Small Wonders Nursery School on Victory Road in Dorchester was named The Daniel C. Boynton Early Childhood Development Center in his honor. In 2012, the Bay Cove Board of Directors created our honorary Emeritus Council, and - to no one's surprise - elected Dan as its first member.
Dan always took great pride in all that Bay Cove accomplished, but he was even prouder that it achieved its success by staying true to his founding principle of treating each individual - each person served, each staff member, each partner, each volunteer, and each supporter - with respect. Doing so has created a remarkable organization, one that focuses on the needs of each individual it serves rather than on providing one-size-fits-all programs. One that has become the “go-to” organization for our partners in the field of human services; the organization that – in Dan's own words - “serves the people that others can’t or won’t.”
We will miss Dan very much, and know that those of you who had the good fortune of knowing him will too.
Our thoughts go out to Dan's wife, Janet (also a beloved member of the Bay Cove community), and their entire family.
