William B. Lloyd, Jr.

William B. (Cosmo) Lloyd, Jr. age 88 died peacefully at home on May 30, 2014. He will be remembered as a caring husband, a great dad, a great granddad and a fun-loving man with a million friends. Bill was born to Jane Hicks and William B. Lloyd, Sr. on January 25, 1927 in Jackson, MS. Bill’s mother died shortly thereafter, and he was lovingly cared for by his maternal aunts, Ivy Hicks Harding and Wilma Hicks Moseley. His father remarried Margaret Lott to whom his brother Jim and sisters Sallie and Joanne were born.

Bill grew up in Jackson, graduated from Central High School in 1944, and upon graduation attended the University of Mississippi. He then enlisted in the U.S. Naval Air Corp. where he served as a Morse code operator (He often joked that he could still hear the bombs whistling overhead). When World War II ended, he returned to college to complete his education at Ole Miss where he was a member of the Kappa Alpha Order and played quarterback for his undefeated fraternity football team. It was at Ole Miss where he met the “love of his life” Chloe Battle Shaw of Brownsville, Tennessee and it was said they spent many hours in the Grove “studying”. In 1948, he began employment with the Mississippi State Rating Bureau where he was advised by company veterans to wear a hat to look older. After three months of training in Hartford, CT, Bill became President of the Aetna Insurance Agency in Jackson. In 1969, he joined Deposit Guaranty National Bank in the Correspondent Bank Department. After early retirement from the Bank, he joined Gulf Guaranty Life Insurance Company where his good friend, Jack Robertson, put his friendly outgoing personality and wealth of friends to good use.

Cos was a founding father and proud member of The 5 O’clock Club (that meets at 3 o’clock), which was started in 1958. He was an active member of the Ole Miss Athletics Foundation, the UM Alumni Association, the Rebel Club of Jackson, the Southern Poker Club, the Calliope Club, the “21” Club, and the Country Club of Jackson. It has been said that the happiest days of his life came when he (and long-time friend Logan Phillips) coached all three of his sons in little league baseball, even winning a Jackson City Championship in 1966. Cosmo took great pleasure in organizing and attending the annual Lloyd Family Reunion with his many cousins (Vizztin, Eatin, Drankin & Dealin). He enjoyed fishing, Thanksgiving bonfires, and entertaining friends and family at the Lloyd Family Lake near Raymond, MS. Cosmo prided himself on remembering everyone’s name even after he developed macular degeneration in his early 70s. His unique storytelling ability allowed him to spin many interesting tales, some of which were even true. He and “Miss Chloe” took many wonderful road trips over their 66 years of marriage.

Survivors include their children Benjamin Battle (Sara), William Theodore, and Robert Leslie (Beth). Cosmo’s beloved grandchildren are William Theodore Lloyd, Jr. (Erica), Lillian Chloe Lloyd, Katherine Lee Lloyd, Scott Keller Lloyd (deceased), Leslie Grace Lloyd, Christen Jane Lloyd, David Mitchell Hust (Jessi), Guy Blan Newcomb (Bonnie) and Nick Maxwell Newcomb. Other survivors include one brother James Lott Lloyd (Nancy) of Austin, TX and two sisters Sallie Lloyd Crim (Billy) of Jackson, MS, and Joanne Lloyd Mills (Richard) of Houston, TX, and several nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be held at Northminster Baptist Church in Jackson, MS on Monday, June 1, from 4 – 6 pm. Visitation on Tuesday, June 2 will begin at 12 pm followed at 1 pm by a Celebration of Life service at the church, burial at Parkway Funeral Home on Highland Colony Pkwy in Ridgeland to follow.

Memorials may be sent to Northminster Baptist Church, 3955 Ridgewood Road, Jackson, MS 39211 or The Ole Miss Athletics Foundation, P. O. Box 1519, Oxford, MS 38655.

The family wishes to thank Hospice Ministries (Marie), Oxford Healthcare (Deanne, Que and Loretta), and the Northminster Caretakers for their loving care and kind service.