Margaret Louise Boyd, a lifelong educator, champion of diversity, tireless volunteer, and beloved pillar of the Reston, Virginia community, passed away peacefully on Monday, March 24, 2025. She was 89 years old.

Born on September 5, 1935, in Ardmore, Oklahoma, Margaret was the second of six children raised in a proud, close-knit family of educators. With multicultural roots—her mother of Cherokee descent and her father Mexican American—Margaret carried a deep, inherent understanding of diversity and equity, values that would define her remarkable life’s work.

After graduating from Langston University in 1957, Margaret married her childhood sweetheart, Donald Boyd, who served in the U.S. Army. Together, they welcomed their son, Gilbert Boyd, in 1962—a joy that became the center of their world.

Margaret’s passion for education sparked early. She opened Smith’s Kindergarten shortly after college and soon after embarked on a global teaching journey. Her first official teaching position was at an American dependent school in Heidelberg, Germany, where she thrived in a multicultural environment and traveled extensively with Donald and young Gilbert during their six years in Europe.

Upon returning to the United States, Margaret poured more than five decades of her life into teaching K–8 students in Fairfax County public schools, including Forest Edge, Terraset, Lake Anne, Oak Hill, Herndon, Westbriar, and Herndon Middle School. Her classrooms were filled with love, discipline, and inspiration—so much so that Reston founder Robert E. Simon Jr. often visited, calling her a living example of his lifelong values: the dignity of the individual, community engagement, youth empowerment, and cultural diversity.

Teaching was her calling, but Margaret’s impact extended far beyond the classroom. She joined the Reston Community Association Board in 1975, founded the Fairfax County Youth Leadership Program, and became a pioneer in diversity education long before it had a name. She launched an ESL (English as a Second Language) initiative, taking language education directly into hotels—her first client being the Reston Hyatt Regency.

Margaret was also a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.—like Vice President Kamala Harris—and embodied the sorority’s core values of sisterhood, scholarship, and service. She received numerous awards throughout her life—so many, in fact, they are difficult to count—but each one was a reflection of her unwavering commitment to making her community a better place.

She is survived by her devoted son Gilbert Boyd of Irvington, New Jersey, and his wife, her loving daughter-in-law, Valorie Hubbard. She is also survived by many beloved nieces and nephews whose lives she touched deeply.  She is also survived by her best friend and one of the "GOLDEN GIRL" Dr. Jean Bell Manning. 

A celebration of Margaret’s extraordinary life will be held on Friday, May 2, 2025, from 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Reston Community Center at Lake Anne. A memorial service will begin at 3:00 p.m., followed by food and fellowship prepared by her son, Chef Gilbert Boyd. A Zoom link will also be available for those who wish to attend virtually.

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