Memorial Service, William Eugene Lloyd

John 11:35; Romans 8:22-26

Central Baptist Church, Lowesville, VA

21 October 2006

We gather here today to celebrate the life of Eugene William Lloyd, know to most here as Billy. We gather to celebrate, we gather also to mourn his passing. I did not have the privilege of knowing Billy, as you have. By all accounts, Billy impacted the lives of many, many people. Billy is no longer here with us, having passed through the experience of death. His memory and legacy, however, remain along with a hole in the lives of family and friends. We do not grieve for Billy, for it is our hope and assurance that Billy has passed from suffering into the arms of his Savior, Jesus Christ. We do grieve nonetheless—not for Billy, but for ourselves and one another.

We find comfort in knowing that we do not grieve in isolation. While our individual pain and response to grief is different for each one, we are bound by a common sense of loss and finality. It is comforting to know that even God shares in our grief. Jesus experienced grief in his earthly life with the death of his father, Joseph, as well as his friend Lazarus. While knowing he would bring Lazarus back to life, Jesus grieved him still. The shortest verse in the Bible, “Jesus wept,” (John 11:35) reminds us that grief is not our experience alone, but one we share with very God.

In Romans 8, Paul reminds us that God is well aware of our grief and suffering. We groan along with creation as we await God’s redemption. As we await that redemption, God grieves along with us, “interceding on our behalf with groans too deep for words.”

Grief is a strange animal. At heart, grief is both very personal and in a sense, selfish. Death reminds us of our own frail mortality. It also causes us to reflect upon what we have lost with the passing of another. Some here have lost a father, others a brother, others have lost a grandfather, a husband, a friend, a fishing companion, a buddy, someone they could count on to fix whatever four-wheeled item was broken, a listening ear, and one who loved them unconditionally. For each one here, grief over Billy’s passing will be different, for Billy meant something different to each one. His life fit with our own in different ways.

He would work to help others, and give the shirt off his back if he thought it would help you. When folks had a problem with machinery, someone would say, "Well, have you called Billy?" Billy was the neighborhood fix-it man. If a hood was up, he would turn around to help. "I go down the road to help. I don't go down the road to hurt," was his motto. Billy was a hunter and an avid fisherman.

Billy was a devoted husband, concerned always for the welfare of his wife, Jeanette, who he often called “The best thing that ever happened to me.” If he could not convince Jeanette to see the doctor when he thought she should, he would call Gail to help him convincer her to get medical help. His number one concern was, "Take care of your mama, if anything happens to me."

Billy wanted to share his love of fishing and boating with Jeanette, though that did not work too well. After a failed attempt to get Jeanette into a boat in two feet of water, everyone came running to see what the fuss was about. He reported, "Lawd, whatever you do, don't put Jeanette in a boat!" He shared his love of the water with his daughters, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, and friends.

To Gail, Billy was a second Daddy, who loved her as his own daughter. Billy came from a big family. Billy married Jeanette when Gail was about twelve. Billy had sisters her age and would bring them to play with his new family, going camping and fishing together. He never distinguished between step-grandchildren and grandchildren, but loved and doted on all equally. He was the only grandfather Gail's kids knew. They knew if they needed him all they had to do was to call and say, “Grandaddy, come get me."

Billy fished with Stephanie and did with her what he would have done with a boy. They would work on cars, tie & bait hooks. He didn’t have much growing up, but he determined that his baby would. No matter how small or big, he would do what he could for her to have it. He would do without in order to provide for his kids and grandkids.

Billy taught Stephanie and the grandkids to drive. He taught them to help others without expecting anything in return. He encouraged them to keep at a task until they finished. He encouraged them to stay in school. When Geoffrey hung a bass in the tail with a jig, Billy helped him land it. He loved then to remind him, "You know, if it wasn't for me, you wouldn't a caught that fish!"

Billy thought the world of his family. He called to check on the grandchildren daily. He had to know where they were and what they were doing. He picked on them to bring them into conversation. He kept up with their lives and enjoyed their sayings. He made sure that all the grandkids had a fish story to tell. He stocked the ponds all around with fish he had caught, leaving a legacy of friendship for his family.

Billy was close to his sisters, especially the youngest. He would build playhouses for her, dig holes to play in, and made a hook out of a safety pin for her to fish. Once down at Burris Lake, they happened on a bobcat. Billy almost pulled her hand off, dragging her running away from the cat. Roger would call daily to go for a ride or to fish. Roger called the morning Billy died, just as usual. Two or three times a week they would be out together riding around or fishing.

The Campbell sisters would often gather as a family to eat at Grandma's. They would break out the fiddle and guitars and sing hymns and songs. Billy would always ask for one song in particular. "Honey, play me ‘Mansion Over a Hilltop.’"

He was not rich in material possessions, but he was rich in friends. He would often comment about his friends, saying, "Calvin Bailey sure has been good to me." Billy would help any he could with his skills, time, and abilities. His friends like Calvin would help him in their own ways. If Calvin knew of a need, he would be sure that Billy was taken care of. He didn't think much of spending money on himself. He could always think of somewhere else to put money aside from himself. When he needed firewood, Danny Burkes would get him what he needed. He helped others with his gifts, and he found his own cared for in return.

Billy embodied what he understood of the gospel. He lived his life to benefit others, especially his family. As we grieve his passing and the hole he leaves in our lives, may we be encouraged to live according to those same parameters of selflessness. Above all, let us remember, that God walks with us in our grief and loss. We are challenged no longer to depend upon Billy’s presence, but to hang onto and uphold his legacy, making the world around us a better place, just like Billy tried to do.

—©2006 Christopher B. Harbin