Howard Lee Cloyd

Howard Lee Cloyd, 89, died April 12, 2012, in the Lakeland Regional Medical Center. The cause of death was kidney disease.He had lived at Florida Presbyterian Homes in Lakeland since 2009, but was a longtime resident of Fort Meade. His family is deeply appreciative of the many kindnesses extended to Mr. Cloyd by the staff and residents of Florida Presbyterian Homes. Mr. Cloyd was born into a large farm family in Washington County, Tennessee, on June 19, 1922. He was a 1942 graduate of Washington College Academy. A World War II veteran, he volunteered for the military after high school and served for the duration in the Army Air Corps in New Guinea and the Philippines. After the war he moved to Florida, where for thirty-five years he was employed in the phosphate industry for Swift & Company and Estech General Chemicals in mines near Fort Meade. He retired in 1984. He liked country music, NASCAR Racing, and enjoyed a daily one mile walk. His wife of fifty-one years, Leoma Jo Jennings Cloyd (they married in Fort Meade on August 8, 1952), died in 2003. Survivors include sons Daniel Lee Cloyd of Los Alamos, New Mexico, and William Howard Cloyd of Kathleen, Florida; stepson Phillip T. Smith of Houston, Texas; and four grandchildren. Graveside funeral services will be Tuesday, April 17, 2012 at 10:00 AM in Evergreen Cemetery in Fort Meade. The family encourages that in lieu of flowers contributions be made to the Loving Care Fund, Florida Presbyterian Homes, 16 Lake Hunter Drive, Lakeland, Florida 33803.