Fred Boice

Fred Boice, rancher, businessman, civic leader, avid golfer and awesome father, died on May 5, 2026 after a brief illness. He had recently turned 96.

He is survived by his wife of 73 years, Ann Kelley Boice, his sister, Peggy Rubel of Prescott, and all five of his children, Henry Boice (Lynn), Mariann Bailey (Michael), Jenny Boice (Mark Kimble), Fred Boice Jr. (Kathie), and Margaret Trouard (Ted), as well as 15 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren. He was predeceased by his father Henry Gudgell Boice and mother Margaret Tait Boice.

He served as board president or chairman of the Tucson Airport Authority, Tucson Medical Center, Junior Achievement and Arizona State Parks. He has strong ties to the University of Arizona and was a member of the Arizona Board of Regents - the first regent to serve two consecutive terms as president - the UA Foundation, the boards of the College of Science, the Eller College of Management, the University Medical Center Corp., the Science Foundation Arizona, and the Campus Research Corporation. He often led into his most insightful questions or observations by saying “I am just a country boy, but…”

As one of the founding Tucson Conquistadores, he was instrumental in organizing the first Tucson Open golf tournament in 1963 and volunteered at the tournament every year until this year. One of his greatest joys – and fiercest frustrations – was playing golf and he continued to play, shooting well below his age until a few months ago.

He was born in Pasadena, Calif., in 1930 but spent most of his life in Southern Arizona. He grew up in Tucson and attended Sam Hughes, Mansfeld and Tucson High. He began working at the family’s cattle ranch, the Arivaca Ranch, at age 11 during the summers. After graduating from Occidental College in Los Angeles with a degree in economics, he returned to Tucson and married Ann Kelley in 1952.

He lived on and ran the ranch for 15 years and all five of his children have terrific memories of growing up on the Arivaca. He sold his ranching assets, moved his family to Tucson, and invested in a variety of business ventures, from feeding cattle, to furniture manufacturing and cooler pad production, and later became a bankruptcy trustee.

His contributions to the cattle industry included his involvement in the Arizona Livestock Show, and he served as president of the Arizona Cattle Growers Association and on the executive committee of the National Cattlemen’s Association. He received an Honorary Doctorate of Science from the UA in 2010 and was given the Founders Award by Greater Tucson Leadership in 2017.

He requested no memorial service and contributions in his memory can be made to the University of Arizona Foundation.