Daniel “Danny” Ned Boyd, 69, of Charleston, West Virginia, left the physical world February 5, 2026. He was an acclaimed professor, filmmaker, writer, creator, and gardener.

How do words befit a proper tribute to honor a wonderful, dynamic soul as accomplished, unique, and special as Danny? An endeavor maybe only a writer of his talent could both elegantly and succinctly capture, but we did our best.

Danny was born on September 14, 1956, in Martinsburg, West Virginia. From a young age he showed a wide range of talents from lettering in Varsity Track and Wrestling, posting record scores playing Pinball or Foosball, and teaching himself to play the harmonica (amongst other instruments). He was a 1974 graduate of Martinsburg High School and remained a lifelong proud Bulldog.

After graduating from West Virginia University in 1978, he began making short films and documentaries already demonstrating a signature fearlessness to shine light on important political, social, or other potentially controversial subjects most others shy away from tackling. He earned his Masters of Arts in Communications and Film Arts from the University of Arkansas in 1982.

He was a highly respected academic, spending more than three decades as a professor of media studies at West Virginia State University. While his heart and passion remained steadfastly committed to enriching and furthering future opportunities for students within his home-state, he also taught around the world, including as a three-time Fulbright Scholar in Tanzania, as well as work forging educational partnerships with local communities and schools across the globe.

While he formally retired from WVSU in 2016, he never really “fully” retired, as he always remained available to his students and colleagues, both current and from years past, any time they could use his support as a mentor, advisor, or consultant. The only real change was hosting his “office hours” from a patio chair on his beloved front porch or from the seat next to him on the third base line of a Charleston Dirty Birds game.

Danny was the definition of “multifaceted” and, as an artist whose career spanned writing and directing feature films, documentary production, graphic novels, and musical theater, he unequivocally leaves a significant mark on the cultural landscape of West Virginia and beyond. His unending curiosity and appetite to find “stories” to tell through his own first-hand life experiences led him to stints in the professional wrestling ring as “Professor Danger”, bull riding in rodeos, summiting Mount Kilimanjaro, and bicycling trails across hundreds of miles of West Virginia outback.

Danny’s life was filled with professional accomplishments and achievements, memorialized by many awards and accolades of distinction in the arts and media industries, academic recognition, and a vast professional body of work that speaks for itself. However, if you asked him, he would likely bring up his Duncan Yo-Yo Champion title he won as a teenager or when he achieved a lifelong dream of visiting all 30 Major League Baseball ballparks in 2014 with the same pride as his more conventionally prestigious Regional Emmy nominations.

It is just as important to Danny’s family to shine light on the memories that are not measurable with trophies or public accolades that made him such a treasure in our lives.

He lived for humor and spent his lifetime making those of us who knew him best, or were just lucky enough to cross paths with him, laugh like no else could. But the real thrill was in making him laugh, which had an infectious joy that filled a room and also made you feel like the most special person in it since it was from something you said or did.

His daughters will always remember him as the father who loved riding every rollercoaster at an amusement park and always bought the mid-ride souvenir photo to display proudly in the collection on his wall; the dad who turned old, run-down public playgrounds into intricate obstacle courses and fiercely competed for the fastest time with his young daughters; the hero who fearlessly nailed the perfect “Gainer” back-flip off a diving board with no prior practice to commemorate his 40th birthday; and the man who created infinite other moments of fun and made everyday- life always feel magical while spending time with his girls.

As a “Poppy”, he adored his two granddaughters, and although they will not get to experience the years of their childhood they deserve to get to spend with him, Losie and Paige already looked at him with stars in their eyes and were the happiest recipients of his cuddles, stories, hugs, and funny voices.

The West Side will remember a proud resident who loved and looked out for his community and neighbors, and, in particular, his active role in the lives of the children in his neighborhood. Danny enjoyed planting and tending to his beloved sunflowers in his front yard with the young “members” of his West Side Garden Club and got so much joy watching them grow (the kids and the sunflowers). He was also a lover of nature, someone who cared deeply about the earth and environment and the preservation of the planet for generations to come.

Preceding him in death are his mother, Dolores Hafer Boyd and his father, Ned Lamarr Boyd of Martinsburg, West Virginia; his brother, Stephen Dory Boyd of Orlando, Florida; paternal grandparents Dory and Detta Boyd of Martinsburg, West Virginia and maternal grandparents Edwin Hafer of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania and Roseline Collins of Washington, D.C.

He is survived by his daughters, Danielle Elizabeth Boyd of Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Georgia Boyd Powell and husband, James, and granddaughters, Losie Boyd Powell and Paige Barnes Powell of Annapolis, Maryland; Sister, Sharon R. Tusing and husband, Tom of Pinedale, Wyoming; Nephews and nieces, Ella Riggs (John), Matthew Cody Tusing (Cyndi), Chris Tusing (Brooke), Tatiana Boyd, and Nicholas Boyd; Partner, Cheryle Brown of St. Petersburg, Florida; numerous great-nephews, great-nieces, and cousins; and a host of cherished friends who were also, in every sense, family to him and deeply rooted in his life — many of whom by his side for decades.

We know that so many people would deeply share the same sentiment for how he impacted them that he himself expressed in an open “Thank You” letter to his dear students and colleagues when announcing his retirement. Since Danny was a better writer than we could ever be, we borrowed some of his own words that strongly and aptly express how we will always feel about him:

“You meant the world to me. You mean the world to me. I am so much better for knowing you.”

There will be a Celebration of Life held at the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame Museum, located in Charleston Town Center, on Saturday February 28, 2026, at 3 p.m.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Meals on Wheels America or to Read Aloud West Virginia, benefiting two of the causes near and dear to his heart.

Online condolences and memories may be shared by visiting www.snodgrassfuneral.com and selecting the obituary. Arrangements are in care of Snodgrass Funeral Home, South Charleston.