Lives to remember: Avid wrestler fought a brave battle

By Justin Faulconer

Published: September 16, 2008

As a teen, Douglas Thomas Boyce was an avid wrestler.

When a tragic accident during a high school match left him paralyzed from the neck down in 1969, a new opponent awaited.

Nearly 40 years later, loved ones describe him as a willful fighter who defied the odds as a quadriplegic. Never giving up, he became a computer programmer and a father.

Boyce, of Lynchburg, died in July at age 59.

Several of his fellow high school wrestlers attended his funeral, said sister Darleen Nuckols.

As a 6-foot, 4-inch Brookville High School senior, he was rated a top Group AA wrestler in Virginia. During a state tournament match in Warrenton, a mishap on the mat put him in a wheel chair for the rest of his life.

He was hospitalized for 11 months and told by doctors he would never walk again.

Still, he wanted to continue his education. His late mother, Audrey, accepted his high school diploma on his behalf.

After another 11 months at the Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center in Fishersville, Boyce was determined to pin an associate degree — and later did so by graduating from Central Virginia Community College.

The injury never crippled his mind, said Sharon Logwood, his sister.

Able to use several fingers, he worked from home through a special terminal that afforded him computer access.

Several years ago, he retired from his 40-hour work weeks as a computer programmer for Ericsson.

The only son of three children, his sisters described him as a caring sibling who was playful and often liked to scare them.

“But he would protect us from anything,” said Logwood. “He was always there for us — he was a great big brother.”

Chess was one of his hobbies, said Nuckols, and he often had friends come over to challenge his skills.

His attitude and will to live was an inspiration, they said.

A fan of Star Wars, he was also highly intelligent and tried to learn as much as he could about the future, Nuckols said. He eventually used a computer that responded to his voice.

Following the accident, the doctors told him he wouldn’t live past 25 years, his sisters said. He just kept fighting and going with an intense will to live, surpassing everyone’s expectations.

He married and had two sons. He worked hard to support his family and make sure they didn’t want for anything, said Logwood.

“He tried his best to be there,” Nuckols said.

Despite his injury, they said, he was considerate and harbored no malice toward the wrestler he faced that fateful night.

“He was one of the bravest people I’ve ever known,” said Logwood.