Yvonne Boice

The influence of the late philanthropist and businesswoman will be felt in the community for years to come

Written by MARIE SPEED

Yvonne Boice died this January after a brief illness, and in her passing, the tributes to her accomplishments rolled in, and the list was long. We wanted to salute her here, posthumously, for all the good she brought to our community and the personal kindnesses she showed so many.

Yvonne was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey on September 6, 1937 and graduated from New York University with a B.S. degree in Marketing. She moved to Boca Raton in 1983, with her husband Grant Boice, who died shortly thereafter. She married Al Zucaro in 2009, an attorney and founder of the World Trade Center Palm Beach. Yvonne is survived by Al Zucaro, her daughter Lauren, and her son-in-law Dr. Randall Knowles Smith.

In a comment to the Coastal Star after Yvonne’s death, Zucaro spoke to her wide involvement in the South Florida community and beyond.

“She was a force of nature,” he said.“When she got interested in something, she was willing to commit her time, her energy and her money to the cause. She was one of the best organizers that I ever met. She was incredible in terms of her commitment to many different platforms and her follow-through with all of these. I still keep uncovering things that she was involved with, and doing that even surprised me.”

BUSINESS:

The sudden death of her husband, real estate executive Grant Boice, thrust Yvonne into running the newly developed Shoppes at Village Pointe, which she made into a thriving business, while simultaneously running her “passion project” Fugazy International Travel.

ADVOCACY:

Yvonne was committed to the mentoring and advancement of women. She was one of six delegates to the MENA (Middle East and North African) Women’s Conference held in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. On another occasion, Paula Dobriansky, the Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs, appointed Yvonne to attend both the Global Summit of Women in Berlin as well as the Global Summit of Women in Hanoi. She also traveled to Santa Cruz, Bolivia to speak to an audience of indigenous women on starting their own businesses and the importance of political engagement.

ARTS AND EDUCATION:

Palm Beach International Film Festival, Centre for the Arts in Boca Raton, Palm Beach County Film and Television Commission, the National Endowment of the Humanities, Lynn University, Palm Beach State College and more.

From Boca Raton to her international initiatives, Yvonne Boice will be celebrated and deeply missed.

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