H. John Lloyd

East Lyme — Hugh John Lloyd (who used the name John — confusion every time!) of East Lyme, passed away peacefully Aug. 2, 2019, at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital at the age of 91. Cause of death was heart disease.

John was born Sept. 3, 1927, in New London, the youngest of four children of Hugh P. and Julia A. Williams Lloyd. He grew up on Connecticut Avenue and attended local schools, graduating in 1946 from Chapman Tech. While in high school, he was a member of the “Wall Gang,” a group of seven or eight friends who used to gather in the evenings to sit and visit on the wall at one of the neighborhood schools.

After a few short-term local jobs, (including driving a banana truck!), he joined civil service and was employed at the SUBASE as a warehouseman. While there, he was inducted into the U.S. Army in 1950 and he served in France until his honorable discharge in 1952. Upon his return to the U.S., he resumed his employment at the SUBASE, where he remained about 10 years.

During this time, in 1954, he married Joan M. Thompson of New London. The couple lived on Connecticut Avenue and had four children.

John, whose three siblings were much older than he was, loved the ocean and the beach since childhood. This love was instilled in him by his father, who, every nice weekend, would take him to Ocean Beach, where the two would spend Saturday and Sunday swimming and sunning. Later, after his own children were born, John searched the area for land near the water where he could settle with his family. He eventually found and bought a waterfront lot at 19 Division St. at Pleasure Beach in Waterford.

With no previous experience in housebuilding, he tackled the job of building his own home from scratch. A few close friends supported him with advice and an occasional helping hand, but basically he built the entire house by himself. He took great pride in that accomplishment. He moved his family in about 1960.

They lived there many years, with John exuberantly celebrating his love of all things water by swimming, scuba diving, lobstering, and “messing around in boats.” They were happy years for him. During this time, while his sons were young, he also coached and managed the Waterford South Little League baseball team for about 10 years. He spent many hours working to improve the Little League baseball field on Gardiners Woods Road.

About 1959, John transferred from the SUBASE to Supervisor of Shipbuilding, a naval facility at Electric Boat in Groton. He eventually was promoted to Plant Clearance Officer. He retired from civil service in 1989 after about 40 years of service.

After John’s first marriage ended, he married Ann C. Stuart of East Lyme on Jan. 30, 1997, and the couple lived in East Lyme for 22 years, until his death.

John started to suffer heart issues during middle age and was treated with medicines at Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Mass. He decided to help himself by swimming laps at local pools, and he swam daily for many years. The doctors at Lahey said he had essentially, “created his own bypass,” and the medicines were stopped. Later, though, his chest pain returned and in 2008 he underwent quadruple bypass surgery at Lahey Clinic, from which he made a full recovery. This successful surgery extended his life by 11 years.

John was amazingly strong. He loved stone walls, and built many beautiful walls at his homes, both in Waterford and East Lyme. He could lift rocks that seemed too big for his body, but he managed it, sometimes with the help of pry bars and other hand tools. He also loved animals, and his family owned many cats and dogs over the years, most of them strays brought home by his children. Though he protested loudly, he took care of the pets anyway!

He was impish, he was feisty, and he loved to laugh. He had a bold, devil-may-care sense of humor and he used it — taking delight in startling others with an irreverent comment. He loved talking with people about any and all subjects. When he was around, people were laughing. People were having fun. He was mischievous, he was unpredictable, and when he was near, there was always something in the air: the feeling that anything might happen.

John’s love of beaches and water continued until his death. He and Ann spent many summer days at area beaches over the years. This summer, up until a few days before his death, they drove many afternoons to East Lyme Town Beach where they parked and watched people enjoying the water and the sand, even though John’s own swimming days were over.

John had suffered several falls the past few weeks. The last fall, Thursday, Aug. 1, was severe enough for him to be admitted to L+M Hospital. The family would like to thank the compassionate staff at the emergency room and the cardiac care unit, and Dr. David Thompson, for their kindness and excellent care.

Besides his beloved wife Ann, John is survived by a son, Timothy P. Lloyd of New London, a daughter, Donna L. Lavery and her husband Donald of Crisfield, Md., a stepson, Ralph P. Stuart and his partner Trina French of Rockland, Maine, a stepdaughter, Kay S. Gallup and her husband Keith of Mystic, and two step-grandsons, Nicholas and Parker Stuart of Camden, Maine. He maintained close relationships with two nephews, Phillip W. Lloyd and his wife Fay, and Leonard H. Provost and his wife Helen, all of Waterford. He also had several great-nephews and nieces. A son John and a daughter Lori are deceased.

The family will receive relatives and friends from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 14, at the Thomas L. Neilan and Sons Funeral Home, 48 Grand St., Niantic, with a Celebration of Life service at 6 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, those who wish to honor John may contribute to Lahey Hospital and Medical Center, 41 Mall Road, Burlington, MA 01805, or to the American Heart Association.

Sweet dreams, my Darling. “You did it your way.”