Born in 1911, Boyle was educated at Ilkley Grammar School and Leeds University Medical School. After qualifying in 1935 Boyle successively was aural officer at the Leeds General and aural surgeon at Dewsbury Infirmary and an ENT specialist in the Royal Air Force, before becoming consultant ENT surgeon at Leeds General Infirmary: his interests included parotid surgery and school audiology clinics. He was also a senior clinical lecturer at Leeds University and consultant surgeon to the Ministry of Pensions. In his youth he had played rugby for both his school and his medical school. An obituary in the *British Medical Journal* says: 'A mischievous sense of humour and slight twitch of his eye could be confusing to friends and on occasion led to amusement from young patients winking back at him during consultations.' He died of pulmonary embolism on 3 March 1996, survived by his wife and three daughters.