It is with the deepest sadness that we announce the passing of Boyd John Gillis after a brief illness took him suddenly from us.

A truly wonderful man who was born in Campbellton, New Brunswick to a Scottish father, Boyd Sr., and French mother, Louise. Boyd had three sisters Rachel, Sandra and Michelle. He grew up on the family farm on the Restigouche River, straddling the New Brunswick/Quebec border. In the winter, Boyd’s family logged with horses, in the summer they managed ‘Camp Harmony’ a prestigious fishing lodge owned by elite Americans. He was a fishing guide by age 12 and could cast a fly 50 feet into the river with grace and ease.

Boyd had an adventurous spirit – at 18 he travelled west to Manitoba, where he worked as a diamond driller, then to the high Arctic drilling for oil, and then to Yellowknife drilling for Con Mines. During those years he became a well respected underground miner which brought him to Whitehorse in 1974 to work at Whitehorse Copper. He enrolled at Yukon College in 1978, graduated with his Heavy Duty Mechanics ticket, and went to work for Finning, which took him to Dawson City. 

In 1984, he and his mechanic partner John Schmidt started Northern Kat, in Dawson. In 1988 they expanded, building a new commercial shop which became Northern Superior Ltd. While John moved on to other endeavours, Boyd continued to work until his retirement, building Northern Superior into an important and essential business that flourishes in the community to this day.

Boyd had a wide variety of interests and passions; he was an avid reader, innovative problem solver, and motorcyclist. He loved travelling, music, hiking, people and friends. He was authentic, honest, always helpful, a hard worker, and was able to laugh even when things were bad… he had the greatest laugh, it was his signature.

Boyd met his life partner Sharon on Dominion Creek in 1987. For 36 years Boyd and Sharon enjoyed a wonderful, adventurous, loving life together, sharing many good times with friends and family. Boyd was a generous person in all aspects of his life - he was real and he will be missed by many.

Boyd is survived by Sharon, his sister Sandra Sutherland, a niece, nephews, and their families in Ontario… and sister and brothers-in-law, and their families, in Victoria, BC.

A celebration of life is planned for a later date.