Former Chairman of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners Mike Boyce died yesterday, January 25, in the aftermath of strokes he suffered on January 14. He had been hospitalized in Indiana since the strokes.

His wife Judy wrote the following message on the Caring Bridge page dedicated to Chairman Boyce, “Mike Boyce, my husband, passed away peacefully today in South Bend after suffering unrecoverable strokes that began at home on Jan. 14.”

“He was beloved by his family and friends. He was a man of God who always put other people first,” she wrote.

Cobb County Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid said in a news release on the Cobb County website, “I am devastated by Mike’s passing.”

“He loved the county and our country and dedicated himself to making Cobb a better and more inclusive place for everyone,” Cupid said. “My thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones during this very difficult time.”

The message posted on the County website had the following comments about former Chairman Boyce:

Boyce was known to handle controversies with grace and diplomacy and insisted on holding multiple town halls, meeting residents face-to-face when tough issues arose.  Even when faced with stiff opposition, he would always acknowledge the rights of Cobb residents to question their leaders.

When he lost the chairman’s position last year, Boyce railed against political divisions and incendiary rhetoric, vowing to help the incoming chairwoman in any way he could.

Cobb County Manager Dr. Jackie McMorris said in the county’s news release: “On behalf of the leadership team, we are grateful for his leadership and he’ll be missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”

The following update on his recent activities, and a brief biography, were posted to former Chairman Boyce’s Caring Bridge page:

He earned his undergraduate degree from Notre Dame and was thrilled to return this past fall to participate in the school’s Inspired Leadership Initiative program.

He had never been happier than he was in the past few months, participating in this program, bicycling to campus and interacting with and mentoring students.

He was having the time of his life. 

He was born in Brawley, Calif., on Sept. 1, 1949. He retired from the U.S. Marine Corps in 2001 after a career of more than 30 years, then had various government and military contract positions before serving as chairman of Cobb County from 2017 to 2020. 

Mike is also survived by his three children, five grandchildren, two brothers and countless other family members and friends who will always cherish his memory.

Background

Former Cobb County Board of Commissioners Chairman Mike Boyce suffered two strokes, and was hospitalized in Indiana.

Boyce won the BOC chairmanship after defeating fellow Republican Tim Lee in the 2016 primary election, and winning the general election of that year.

He served one term and was defeated by current BOC Chairwoman Lisa Cupid in 2020 in a race that ushered in nearly complete Democratic control of county-wide offices for the first time in decades.

The Caring Bridge page for Mike Boyce gives the following information on Memoria contributions:

Memorial contributions may be made to the University of Notre Dame. Please direct your gift to the Michael H. Boyce Memorial Fund. Gifts may be made online at https://giving.nd.edu/Boyce, by phone at 574-631-5150, or by mail.