My Great Uncle Marshall’s life is truly what most would call a “rags to riches” story. From a “mountain kid” (as he put it) to serving seven years in the army, to becoming a nurse, to publishing a series of mystery novels featuring a detective named Falk McCoy. These are but a few of the interesting things about Marshall Boyd, a 72-year-old man from Tennessee who currently resides with his wife in a Floridian condo with a beach view. 

In the mountains surrounding Chattanooga, Tennessee, a family of nine lived a “nomadic existence.” Although in our interview he did not discuss it, it is common knowledge in our family that Marshall’s father was not what one would call loving or supportive. Due to this, Marshall was rebellious and performed poorly throughout school. This led him to later drop out of high school because he didn’t want to cut his luscious locks of hair inspired by The Beatles. Ironically, after dropping out of high school Marshall joined the army, cutting his precious hair which he was so fond of. During boot camp, he met a Drill Sergeant who forced Marshall to get his GED. To this day, Marshall credits Sergeant Lindsay with changing his life. For the next seven years, Marshall spent his time serving our country, including two tours in Vietnam. 

In 1973, Marshall left the army. He then went on to spend the better part of the 70s and 80s in college. He found himself studying photography and psychology. But he eventually decided on nursing, because he is a “big fan of Jesus.” While studying photography at Miami Photography College, he met Deborah Stancato, whom he has been happily married to for 46 years. 

In 1990, Marshall discovered a love for writing and went back to college. He then began publishing The Falk McCoy Mystery Series. His novels can be purchased on Amazon Kindle. There is even a website called falkmccoy.com where you can learn more about the books and ask the author questions. He is currently finishing the last book of the series. Despite this, he still feels like he has not reached his full potential as an author and continues to write every day. Regardless of what he believes, Marshall is a gifted writer. We planned to meet digitally, but I asked Marshall to send me a brief autobiography beforehand to help me get a better picture of his life. I ended up canceling the meet because his autobiography was so wonderfully detailed, and I felt that I had all the information I needed. I was even intimidated because I was afraid that my article would not measure up to his brief timeline.  

Marshall and his wife have not only worked many different jobs, but they have also been to many different countries. In Marshall’s colorful condo you can find multiple items from their travels and a slew of photo books that his wife has made. Marshall has a never-ending amount of stories to tell about his adventures across the globe. He has definitely lived his 72 years of life to the fullest and continues to achieve new and exciting things everyday. He continues to be an inspiration to me as well as many others, and he sets a great example of perseverance. From mountain kid to military veteran to college graduate to published author to a world traveler, my great uncle Marshall is the epitome of a “rags to riches” story.