Dennis Boice loved life. when he passed away suddenly in July at age 41, he left behind a wife, Karen, and three children, Fletcher, 3, Jackson, 1, and Victoria, 20.
If the last name seems familiar, it’s because Dennis is the son of Carolyn Boice, who recently retired as the school board secretary for Pine-Richland after working for more than three decades for the district.
Although it hasn’t been long since they lost Boice, his friends wanted to start an annual event to honor his memory and to benefit the family he left behind.
The Dennis Boice Memorial Golf Outing is scheduled for noon on Saturday, Oct. 8, at the Pittsburgh North Golf Club. Organizers request that interested golfers sign up by Oct. 1.
One of those organizers is Shane Clark, a longtime friend of Boice, whose emotions are evident when he talks about his late friend.
“It’s very rare to find a person like that with such a magnetic personality,” says Clark. “He touched a lot of lives, and we were lucky to have him for as long as we had him.”
Boice was a native Pittsburgher and a 1988 graduate of Richland High School. an avid golfer from a very young age, he would stay at a friend’s house near Pittsburgh North Golf Club when he was a teen so he could rise early in the morning to take advantage of the early-bird junior price of $1, Clark says.
Although Clark was not a golfer when they met, Boice was eager to share his passion with Clark.
“He taught me to golf and was so patient,” says Clark. “I think I shot something like 120 that first round and he never said a thing. he was never afraid to try anything new or teach anyone something new.”
Boice founded a golf league called the old Whaler League so he and his friends could get together. They were also in a fantasy football league that gave them the opportunity to meet weekly to talk about football, golf and life.
Boice didn’t hang out with just his peers but with people of all ages.
“Dennis would be friends with you if you were 18 or if you were 75,” says Clark. “He was the glue that kept our group together for so long.”
It was this passion for the game of golf that led Clark and his friends to decide the best way to honor Boice and to help the family would be through a benefit golf outing.
They plan to make it an annual event, although Clark says it will probably be earlier in the golf season in the future.
In addition to participants, they are still accepting donations and sponsorships. those who are interested may contact Shane Clark at or visit the event website.