Old Friends antique store owner Bill Boyd passed away on Feb. 18, and his unique store in Downtown Historic Mabank is currently closed. Boyd, 82, became ill and had been hospitalized at the time of his death. Boyd, a retired retailer and wholesaler who worked at Neiman Marcus early on and sold women's apparel to specialty stores later in his career, opened Old Friends four years ago. For a while he operated a tea room in Longview. An East Texas native, Boyd renovated the store on Market Street in Mabank and filled it in part with the collectibles he spent a lifetime acquiring. Boyd, his cat Dexter and the potted garden he grew on the front porch of the store became a main attraction in downtown Mabank. His front porch garden was named yard of the month by the Mabank Garden Club in October 2011. Dexter is now being cared for by a friend of Boyd's, and he is expected to go live with a close relative of the deceased store owner. His store was a favorite stop for many people who ate lunch at the tea room across the street and afterwards would browse through Old Friends and chat with Boyd. Treva Miller, a friend of Boyd's, said the store was his passion in his last years. Miller helped him continue opening the store everyday by driving him to work when he was no longer able to operate his truck. Miller described Boyd as "wonderful," an accomplished storyteller and warm, caring man who wanted to remain fully engaged in life to the end. "He wanted to stay in the store and visit with people for as long as he could," Miller said. "He loved everybody, and he made you feel so good." One of Boyd's last projects was to buy flower bulbs and enlist the help of children at a nearby private school to plant them. Boyd wanted the children to experience the joy of watching new life sprout from the earth. The yellow daffodils are now growing and will soon be in full bloom. "He did every single thing he ever wanted to do," Miller said. "He died his way." Until the end, Boyd was calling the shop and giving the people who were keeping it open detailed instructions. A memorial service for Boyd will be Saturday, Feb. 25 at Celebration on the Lake Church in Payne Springs where he was a member at the time of his death. There will be a reception in the church's community room at 11 a.m., and the services will be at noon. There will be a celebration of Boyd's life following the services at a location to be announced at the end of the services.