‘His heart was as big as Ireland’: Family, friends remember former Luzerne County Businessman Kevin Boylan

KINGSTON — Long before the term “influencer” became popular, Kevin Boylan had the concept down pat.

Those who knew Boylan have watched in amazement over the years how he would always enter a room and become the center of attention, and people — all people — would gravitate to him.

And the beauty of it all is that Boylan never sought the spotlight; it just kind of found him.

One of the key indicators of being called an “influencer” is that people are attracted to your company. It can be said that few have ever had more influence on more people than Kevin Boylan.

And always in a fun way.

Joseph Kevin Boylan, 74, of Sarasota, Florida, passed away on July 17, surrounded by his loving family and listening to his favorite Irish ballads, according to his obituary.

And the world has lost not only a great influencer, but a devoted family man, a loyal friend, a community servant, a brilliant businessman, a humanitarian, a proud Irishman and, yes the life of every party who always lit up the room.

“He didn’t care who you were or where you came from — in that moment, he was going to be engaging with you and make you feel special,” said Kevin’s son Joe. “People gravitated to him — he was a magnet that brought people in no matter who they were or where they were from.”

And Boylan was Irish through and through — he was born on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 1951 —and he lived in Kingston, until 2015, when he and his wife, the former Janet Mazur, moved to Florida.

Boylan’s obituary details his family and life. He was a graduate of Wyoming Valley West High School Class of 1969, and he attended East Stroudsburg University.

He began a 20-year career in commercial lending before managing Saturn of Wyoming Valley and Valley Chevrolet. He served on Kingston Council and was executive director of the Luzerne County Transportation Authority. In 1995, Kevin founded The Boylan Foundation to serve local families in need.

Remembering Dad

Joe Boylan talked about how his father was always there for him.

“Everybody saw the fun, happy side of my dad — the life of the party and all that,” Joe said. “His heart was so big. And when I was struggling, he came and stayed with me. He was not the Irish guy with a Guinness — he was my dad and he was there for me.”

Joe said his dad was there when he dropped out of school and put him to work at Boylan’s.

“I think he knew that working there would get me to go back to school — and it did,” Joe said. “I remember suggesting to my dad an idea I had for a special burger. His response was, “nobody comes here for a burger. They come here for fun, conversation and connecting with other people and having fun.’ That was my dad — he just knew how to make people smile.”

Joe remembers how his dad would dress up as Santa Claus on Christmas Eve and open the doors to Boylan’s and tell people to come in and have a free drink.

“He knew many of them were doing last-minute shopping, so he wanted to give them a break,” Joe said.

Joe’s sister, Shannon Boylan Medico, said two things immediately come to mind when she thinks of her father.

“My dad was all about family — and that included his friends,” Shannon said. “He just embraced everybody. And I will always remember his generosity — he would give somebody in need the last dollar out of his pocket.”

To Shannon’s point of Kevin always being about family first, she recalled when she was 9 years old, her dad rented a “tiny tiny” Cape Cod home in Long Beach Island barely big enough to accommodate Kevin, Janet and the three kids.

“My dad invited everybody to come down — family friends — everybody,” she said. “There had to be 35 people there — people were sleeping everywhere. And he wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”

Shannon said her father loved meeting people.

“He wanted to learn everything about them and before long, they were like lifelong friends,” Shannon said.

Shannon said she and her dad went to a Phillies game one year during a League Championship Series. She said the Phillies lost and the taxi they were in got into an accident.

“We got out of the taxi and there was a Smith & Wollensky Steakhouse right there, so my dad said let’s go in,” she said. “The manager said they were closing soon, but my dad told him we were at the Phillies game, they lost and the taxi we were in had an accident and before you know it, the manager told us to come in. We were there until 3 a.m. because my dad made another instant connection.”

Kevin’s youngest son, Clancy said to know his dad was to love him.

“Anybody who spent time around my dad just loved him,” Clancy said. “When you met my dad, he got right to the core of who you are. He always wanted to help people out — politicians, get kids jobs — he used his connections that he made in life for them — never for himself. He always saw the good in people.”

Clancy said his dad had a lot of people work for him over the years and he was a true friend to all.

“They say all roads lead through Luzerne County,” Clancy said. “And they all run through Kevin Boylan. Nobody else has all these stories to tell.”

And Kevin’s devoted wife of 52 years said this about her husband:

“He was the love of my life.”

Stories from friends

Tom McGrath, Forty Fort, has known Kevin for 50 years, having met when Kevin owned the Locker Room on Market Street in Kingston.

“Kevin’s picture should be in Webster’s Dictionary next to the word ‘friend,’” McGrath said. “He was a special guy — he had an incredible mind and a gregarious laugh.”

McGrath said Boylan made so many trips to Ireland, he could claim citizenship.

“I will always remember his generosity — I’ve never met a more generous guy,” McGrath said. “And he was a true friend — defined it to a tee. Now he is at rest.”

Jim McAndrew, Shavertown, knew Boylan through high school athletics and the Locker Room. He agreed that Boylan was a generous man.

“Absolutely, he was the most generous, kind-hearted guy I knew,” McAndrew said. “He would do anything for anybody who needed help. His heart was as big as Ireland.”

McAndrew said he made many trips to Ireland with Boylan and about 10 to South Bend to Notre Dame football games.

‘The party never started until Kevin arrived,” he said. “This disease made him the opposite of who he was. I will always remember the fun we had with him — he was never afraid to take a chance on a business. Kevin was the heart of the group — the main cog of a fun machine.”

Frank “Parky” Conyngham, Chase, said Boylan seemed to be everywhere people needed him to be.

“Kevin really was larger than life,” Conyngham said. “He always was so much fun — always in a good mood. And he was a major league family man — his wife, his kids and grandkids meant the world to him. Kevin Boylan stories will be told forever and we will laugh.”

Donald Wolfe, Dallas, said Boylan really was the kind of guy who when he walked into a room, it lit up.

“Kevin was a man of faith, family, and friends,” Wolfe said. “And he was an entrepreneur — a great thinker. He and Janet made a great team.”

Wolfe said he made 19 trips to Ireland with Boylan. He recalled a visit to a a pub after attending a Ryder Cup golf match.

“Kevin ended up singing with an Irish group in a pub.” Wolfe said. He was a true gentleman who made friends everywhere he went. And he couldn’t wait to get to the Old Sod back home in Ireland.”

Jack McCue, Allentown, grew up with Boylan and played Little League through high school baseball together and were basketball teammates.

“Kevin had a gift with people that really was unbelievable,” McCue said. Wherever he went, he became the center of attention, but never on purpose. People were just drawn to him.”

McCue said Boylan was very caring and generous — sometime to a fault — and he did it without publicity.

McCue related a touching story that exemplifies the kind of caring person Boylan was.

“We were on a golfing trip to Ireland and after a round we went into a pub and of course Kevin gets the ear of the locals,” McCue said. “Kevin sat at a table with a local Irishman for more than an hour. Kevin then comes over to us and asks us for all the money we had. He said the man he was talking to had a daughter who was very sick and he needed money to buy her medicine and to get medical care. We emptied our pockets and Kevin gave it all to the man.”

McCue said that was Kevin Boylan, the family man who cared about his fellow human beings and always was willing to help.

“If Kevin was on your team, you loved him,” McCue said. “He was a leader — in a fun way.”

Frank Baur, Jackson Township, is Kevin’s nephew and Godson.

“I truly believe that my Uncle Kevin was put on this earth for the sole purpose of bringing people together to have fun and be happy,” Baur said. “And he was happiest when people were around him — it literally felt like every day was Christmas Eve.”

Baur said Boylan was like a second father to him and a big brother wrapped into one.

“He was always there for me,” Baur said. “He was home to me — just sitting next to him. I will forever miss his laugh and I will stare at the picture of him on my desk and think of all the good times we had together.

“I’ll miss him — we all will miss him.”

Joe Beggs, from Plains Township, now living in Florida, said he met Boylan through their Irish heritage and they had a drink together now and then.

“When Kevin joined our golf club in Florida, it only took a matter of weeks, and he knew more people in the club than me and I had been a member there for 20 years,” Beggs said. “And Kevin knew all the words to all Irish songs. He sang in the key of Kevin.”

Beggs said his oldest granddaughter and two others who are with the O’Grady Quinlan Academy of Irish Dance in Lehigh Valley will dance at Murphy’s Friday night at Kevin’s Irish wake.

“Kevin always had a joke, a story, and everybody was drawn to him,” Beggs said.

Ken Wallace Sr., Dallas, said Boylan was one of his best friends.

“Kevin was an original,” Wallace said. “There are so many stories — he was one of a kind. “There will never be another Kevin Boylan — a good, good friend who made us laugh all the time. He will live forever.“

Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.