A well-known sports columnist for the Indianapolis Star, Gregg Doyel, was raised in a single-parent household by his single mother, Martha Boynton, alongside his sister, Kathryn.
The distinguished sports columnist, Gregg Doyel, was born to father Robert Doyel and mother Martha Boynton.
His parents, Robert and Martha, married in the 1960s and shared two children, Gregg and Kathryn. However, their marriage didn’t last long, and they divorced in the 1970s.
Following their divorce, Robert married Chelle while details surrounding Martha’s relationship status remain unknown.
His father, Robert, died in November 2024 at the age of 79, survived by his wife and Gregg’s stepmother, Chelle.
Gregg’s Mother, Martha, Devoted Herself To Her Children Through Hard Work And Sacrifice!
Martha grew up in Shawnee, Oklahoma, where she was a straight-A student at Shawnee High and later attended DePauw University and the University of Oklahoma.
After divorce, as a single mom in Oxford, Mississippi, Martha worked as a secretary at the University of Mississippi for less than $10,000 a year.
Despite their tight budget, Martha made sure Gregg and Kathryn had what they needed. She recycled juice bottles, sewed patches on clothes, and never bought a microwave to save money.
Martha wasn’t athletic like Gregg’s dad, who taught him to throw a baseball or kick a soccer ball. But she was always there, driving Gregg to the Ole Miss golf course or sports stores.
She cheered at every game, washed grass stains out of his baseball pants, and cleared space in their home for Gregg to practice putting golf balls or pretending to be a football star diving over the couch.
After Gregg moved away with his father, Martha worked hard, typing 120 words a minute for Ole Miss students to make extra money, and later earned her own college degree while supporting Kathryn at the University of North Carolina.
Gregg Goyel’s Father, Robert, Desegregated The Youth Baseball League In 1979!
Sports columnist Gregg paid tribute to his father in November 2024, highlighting his accomplishments, including his role in the desegregation of a youth baseball league in Oxford, Mississippi.
His father, Robert Doyel, was a man who desegregated the baseball league in 1979. He was a man of incredible courage who faced many challenges but never stopped fighting.
Despite his courageous personality, Robert was a warm and welcoming person. He found joy in small things, such as teasing his wife and Gregg’s stepmother, Chelle, or telling dad jokes.
In the tribute post, Gregg also disclosed that his family had moved from Oklahoma to Mississippi in 1978.
Gregg Doyel’s Father, Robert Doyel, Was A Law Professor At The University Of Mississippi!
Robert Doyel grew up in Shawnee, Oklahoma, as the youngest of 10 children.
His family was poor, living without electricity, water, or gas for much of his childhood. They relied on government food, such as cheese and canned meat.
After a fire destroyed their house in 1949, they moved into a neighbor’s old chicken coop.
Kids in the neighborhood teased Robert about his worn-out, hand-me-down clothes, but he wasn’t one to back down.
Small but scrappy, Robert learned to stand up for himself, taught by his older brothers to hit first if he had to fight.
One such instance of his bravery is when, as a boy, Robert saw an older kid bullying an elderly man who sold tamales from a cart.
Robert stepped in and told the kid to stop. When the bully turned on him, Robert fought back and won.
His father, Robert, was the first in his family to go to college. He studied French, then switched to accounting, and later went to law school.
Likewise, Robert also served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War, while Gregg was born in Hawaii
Gregg described him as “brilliant” as Robert could solve complex problems, whether it was rearranging tiles in a game of rummy to win or doing math without a calculator.
He became a law professor at the University of Mississippi, where he made a big impact by shutting down a segregated youth baseball league in 1979.
Later, he worked as a lawyer in Florida and became a judge. He won elections and served his community.
Even in retirement, Robert kept his mind active. He wrote a book called The Baby Mama Syndrome about his experiences in family law and dictated a 350-page mystery novel from memory.
Robert Goyel Suffered Several Health Challenges, Including A Car Accident, A Heart Attack, And Strokes!
Robert’s retirement took a tough turn when a car hit him in a crosswalk in Florida, just months after he retired in 2010.
The crash broke many bones, and doctors later found more fractures they had missed. Years later, Robert’s back started to collapse, causing severe pain. Because he’s allergic to strong pain medications, he couldn’t take anything to ease the ache, yet he never complained.
Then came a heart attack, followed by a stroke during recovery that left him with double vision and trouble speaking.
He struggled to find words, sometimes saying the wrong number or losing his train of thought. More strokes and falls followed, making it hard for him to walk without a walker.
Despite all this, Robert kept pushing forward, going to therapy and working with a trainer to stay strong.
Likewise, Robert Goyel also served on a local LGBTQ board, blogs on Facebook, and stayed involved with his community in his later days.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- In high school, George was an all-state athlete in baseball (1987, 1988) and soccer (1986).
- Before joining the Indianapolis Star, he worked for CBS Sports, the Tampa Tribune, the Miami Herald, and the Charlotte Observer.
