The Council remembers Dick Hoyt, who inspired thousands of runners, fathers and athletes with disabilities by pushing his son, Rick, in a wheelchair in dozens of Boston Marathons and hundreds of other races.
He died on Wednesday at age 80 at his home in Holland, Mass. of natural causes, his family said.
Hoyt was the keynote speaker at the Council’s 38th Annual Convention & Expo: Champions for Change, in 2013 and received two standing ovations for his presentation about his family’s quest to give Rick, who has cerebral palsy and is a quadriplegic, as normal and inclusive life as they could.
The father-son duo eventually completed 32 Boston Marathons together, until Dick, citing health issues, retired in 2014. Dick served as Grand Marshal of the 2015 race in recognition of his accomplishments.
The Council sends best wishes to the Hoyt family.