Goodbye Uncle Lloyd

This week, we laid to rest my mother's dear Uncle Lloyd. To many, he was just an ordinary guy, a really nice guy in fact, but to my mother (Donna), he was much more. Uncle Lloyd and his wife never had any children, and through the years, he came to adopt her family and all the kids as his. Even for myself, my brothers and I adopted Uncle Lloyd as “Grandpa Lloyd.” For about 3 years, we lived in the same neighborhood as Uncle Lloyd and my brothers and I would ride our bikes over there to surprise them. There was always ice cold Pepsi, (which Aunt Phyllis filled to the rim, a scary prospect for a young child as we sure didn’t want to spill any! Ha) and cookies. 

Uncle Lloyd was a very kind soul, who believed in my mom and our little tea endeavors. He was very generous to us when we were getting ready to remodel our existing area and surprised us with a check to help accomplish this goal. For that, we are forever grateful. We in fact, have a picture of him in our prep kitchen, which we fondly look upon as we work. 

Uncle Lloyd served our country in the United States Army in WWII. At his interment, they had a military service. What a moving experience. Uncle Lloyd always wanted my mom to have his flag. After the taps were played, they folded the United States Flag in such a ceremonial way. Afterwards, the uniformed member of the Army came over to my mother and knelt down before her and said before handing her the flag: 

“On behalf of the President of the United States and the people of a grateful nation, may I present this flag as a token of appreciation for the honorable and faithful service your loved one rendered this nation.”

It is an honor and blessing to have his flag here in our home…a reminder of a great man, who not only served his country well, but loved our family deeply. Every time we host tea parties in our lovely room…Uncle Lloyd’s legacy lives on. Thank you Uncle Lloyd!!