- Date Of Birth: April 12, 1949
- Date Of Death: February 13, 2016
- State: Idaho
Carmen Ann Boyington (Cengotita), age 66, died suddenly in Boise, Idaho on February 13, 2016 while at her home.
Carmen was born April 12, 1949 in Boise. As a child she roamed the neighborhood around Grove Street, relishing in the sense of community generated by her extended Basque family. She attended St. Theresa’s and St. Joseph’s Catholic Schools, and she graduated from Boise High School in 1967. After high school, she took business classes at Boise Junior College.
On June 6, 1970 Carmen married her childhood sweetheart, Richard “Rick” Boyington, whom she had known since the age of ten. The newlyweds embarked on journeys that took them to Oakland, California and Rathdrum, Idaho where Carmen gave birth to their first child, Eric, in 1973. Carmen and Rick returned to Boise in 1975, settling down to raise their young family. Carmen worked as a dental assistant for several years before giving birth to their daughter, Micaela, in 1979.
Two years later Carmen embarked on what would become her life’s work: she opened Carmen’s Care in her home. What began as a small daycare with a few kids eventually grew into a bustling operation in which Carmen oversaw as many as twelve children. She cherished the fact that she had found a career that was professionally and personally fulfilling while allowing her to be home when Eric and Micaela returned from school each day. She reluctantly closed the daycare in 2000, managing rental properties that she had acquired with Rick and taking care of her mother, Petra, after Rick’s sudden passing in 2001. She also volunteered at The Flicks for several years, continuing to nurture her connection to the broader Boise community.
Carmen’s free spirit defies easy categorization. She loved to travel, to listen to music, and to go to movies. Above all, she loved people. She was fun, quick to laugh, generous to a fault, and always seemingly on the verge of dancing.
Carmen was preceded in death by her father, Pete; her mother, Petra; her mother-in-law, Claire; her sister-in-law, Pam; and her husband, Rick. She is survived by her son, Eric; her daughter, Micaela (Zach); her sister, Teresa (Leon); her nephews, Brian (Carol) and Craig; her nieces Diane (Mike) and Gina (Craig); her grandchildren, Nate, Zach, Amaia, and Isabel; and many more cousins, nieces, and nephews.
