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In Memoriam

Bob Moyer ‘34 #132

Ken Smith ‘33 #138 wrote that Bob died in January 2003.

Jerry and Diane Lloyd

Marin Independent Journal

http://www.marinij.com

September 4, 2003

Jerry ‘51 #338 and Diane Lloyd ‘52, both 73, died instantly Friday afternoon when their 1991 Honda Accord veered off the north edge of the road along U.S. Highway 50 in the Pollock Pines area, California Highway Patrol Officer Jeff Smith said.

Family and friends of 43-year residents of the Ross Valley said they were devastated.

“My father had a passion for showing his kids the love of camping and fishing and was a generous, gentle, and kind soul,” said the couple's daughter, Cindy Cooper. “He gave a lot. That's what's feeding me right now knowing that I had him for a long time. And my mom, she had a passion for living life to the fullest joy and humor and affection were constant gifts that she gave to everyone.”

Mr. Lloyd's sister, 58-year-old Kathie Downie of San Jose, survived the solo vehicle accident and was helicoptered to Sutter Roseville Medical Center where she is listed in fair condition.

The couple--described as musically talented, zealous San Francisco Giants fans and dedicated to children--grew up in the Los Angeles area, where they met in 1949 while attending Pomona College, according to family members.

They moved to San Diego after graduation, where Mr. Lloyd served as an officer in the Navy while his wife worked as a teacher.

Arriving in San Anselmo in 1960, the couple took up residence in a redwood home designed and built by Mr. Lloyd, who worked both as a math teacher at Davidson Middle School in San Rafael and as an engineer in San Anselmo during his life.

A 20-year veteran teacher at San Anselmo Preschool & Afterschool who dedicated herself to performances with the Ross Valley Players and as a soloist for the First Presbyterian Church of San Anselmo's choir, Mrs. Lloyd was well-known among close friends and family as “The Queen of Everything,” a nickname she garnered from the unusual retirement celebration she threw for herself when she left teaching in 1996.

“She was a real character,” said San Anselmo architect Dan Thomas, who for 10 years sang in barbershop performances with Mr. Lloyd and worked with him over the years on projects that brought the architect and engineer together.

“She had sort of a whimsical quality,” he said. “When she retired she had a parade in town as a homecoming queen ... She always wanted to be homecoming queen and so she made herself homecoming queen.”

Her daughter-in-law, Molly Lloyd, remembered that day well. “We did a sign for her when she did her homecoming parade that read, 'Queen of Everything,'” she recalled. “From then on, she called herself the queen of everything.”

Mrs. Lloyd's solo performances in the choir were a regular feature of church life, said Sally Johnson, First Presbyterian Church's director of music. One of the last times she saw Mrs. Lloyd will be an experience she will cherish, Johnson said.

“One of my favorite memories, the were out at the house and it was a big deal for her to get out into our pool, she hadn't been able to do that since her stroke,” she said. “When she was in the pool, she could walk without a cane. We just had a wonderful time together.”

Mr. Lloyd devoted himself to years of civic service, sitting on the San Anselmo Planning Commission from 1961 to 1966, and also serving for years on the San Anselmo School District Board.

A frequent letters-to-the-editor writer, Mr. Lloyd spoke out on issues he believed in, such as reigning in unions that he believed held too much power in the schools. Later in life, he worked to bring the tradition of barbershop music to public school students and organized Youth Harmony Day to introduce kids to a cappella singing.

The death of the couple, who celebrated their 50th anniversary in December 2002, leaves a sudden hole in many of their lives, friends and family said.

“I just wasn't ready for him to not be here,” Thomas said.

The couple are survived by their daughter and son-in-law, Cindy and Jim Cooper of Rohnert Park; son and daughter-in-law Sam and Molly Lloyd; and grandchildren Jack and Virginia of Shelby, N.C.; as well as Mr. Lloyd's sisters, Marcia Lloyd of the Sacramento area and Kathie Downie of San Jose; niece Mary McLaughlin of Boise, Idaho; and many nieces and nephews and their families.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Ross Valley Players, the Marin Golden Gate Barbershop Chorus, and to First Presbyterian Church of San Anselmo.


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