James Boyce (6 September 1947 – 25 January 1994), known as Jimmy Boyce, was a British

Labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

politician. He was a member of Sheffield Council from 1984 and was elected

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for

Rotherham Rotherham () is a large minster and market town in South Yorkshire, England. The town takes its name from the River Rother which then merges with the River Don. The River Don then flows through the town centre. It is the main settlement of ...

in April 1992, but died less than 2 years later.

Personal life

James Boyce was born in 1947 in

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, the son of James and Nellie Boyce. He came to settle in

Sheffield Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...

, meeting and marrying Patricia Morton, with whom he had two sons, Jimmy and Calum. He was divorced in the late 1980s and remarried in April 1993.Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005

Career

Boyce became involved in local politics through his father in-law, Alf Morton (who introduced him to the local Labour party). Boyce became involved in trade union activities while working in the then thriving steel works in Sheffield but, like many others, was made redundant in the early 1980s. He went on to study law at the then Sheffield Polytechnic but left during his second year. In 1984 he was elected as local councillor for the Burngreave ward in Sheffield. He returned to Sheffield University to study Law in 1987 as a mature student and was a much-loved figure around the Law Department, known for his dry sense of humour and caring personality.

Health and death

Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas Day, the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day is observed around the world, and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation ...

1993 he was put on the transplant waiting list for a new heart after what he thought was a respiratory problem after complaining of breathing problems. It turned out he was suffering from an enlarged heart. On

Burns Night A Burns supper is a celebration of the life and poetry of the poet Robert Burns (25 January 175921 July 1796), the author of many Scots poems. The suppers are normally held on or near the poet's birthday, 25 January, known as Burns Night ( sc ...

1994 he suffered a fatal heart attack at home in his living room. Over 500 people attended his memorial service on 11 February 1994, at which a speaker was the then Labour Party leader John Smith, who, coincidentally, would also die of a heart attack just a week after the

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to elect Boyce's replacement was held.

References

External links

* 1947 births 1994 deaths Amalgamated Engineering Union-sponsored MPs Councillors in Sheffield Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1992–1997 Alumni of Sheffield Hallam University People from Paisley, Renfrewshire {{England-Labour-UK-MP-stub