SANTA ANA, Calif. Donald W. Boyles, a bus operator who built one of the nations largest airport shuttle services, died here last month. He was 84.

After a 10-year career with Continental and Trans World airlines, Mr. Boyles and his wife Candy launched the first bus service to provide direct links between Los Angeles International Airport and Disneyland/Anaheim, Santa Ana and Buena Park, Calif. That was in 1957.

The company, known as Airport Service, eventually grew to link most of the airports in the Los Angeles-Orange County area with communities throughout Southern California.

Airport Service mushroomed during the decade following its founding and became instrumental in developing the tourism and convention industry in Southern California. A subsidiary sightseeing company, Orange Coast Sightseeing, was launched in 1965.

In 1970, the Boyles companies were merged into Chromalloy American Corp. of St. Louis, a large conglomerate whose holdings included the old American Transit Corp.

In 1987, Mr. Boyles retired and became a consultant for a variety of companies. He consulted for several years for Transportation Insurance Brokers, and later for Coach USA from 1995-99.

During his career, Mr. Boyles was active in promoting Southern California tourism. He served on the board of the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau, becoming chairman in 1968. He also was a former chairman of American Sightseeing International and the Mission Country Visitors & Convention Bureau.

He also served as chairman of the Airport Ground Transportation Association and the California Bus Association, where he was a long-time board member and convention committee chairman.

He was a former deacon and elder of the First Presbyterian Church in Garden Grove, and a member of United Trinity Presbyterian Church in Santa Ana.

Mr. Boyles was a veteran of World War II, serving in the U.S. Navy. During his retirement years, he and his wife were avid world travelers and golfers.

His wife survives him, along with his two sons, Denis and David, and daughter Kathy Murdock.

A memorial in Mr. Boyles name has been established with the American Cancer Society. Go to www.cancer.org and follow the donation links and prompts.