Phil ended his earthly journey on January 30, 2024, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He left our world peacefully after living with Alzheimer’s disease in his final years.
Phil was born to Dorothy Pauline Loyd (Breeze) and Euell Leonard Loyd on September 14, 1940, in Elk City, Oklahoma. He grew up in Carter and Sayre, OK—and while he was an only child, he had a large, loving, hardworking, and resilient family. Phil graduated from Sayre High School in 1958, earned his B.S. from Panhandle State University in 1962, and then was a teacher in OK and NM for many years. He married his wife of 57 years, Sharon, in 1966, and they moved to Albuquerque in 1969 to continue their education and build their careers. Phil served from 1969 to 1976 in the active Army Reserve. In 1975 he earned his M.A. from the University of New Mexico, and in that same year he and Sharon welcomed their daughter, Amy.
From 1974 to 1995, Phil was a career civil servant for the U.S. Department of the Interior in New Mexico and Washington D.C. In 1991, he earned the Department’s Superior Service Award for his leadership in the establishment of the Albuquerque Training Center. Throughout his career and his life, Phil embodied a spirit of service to others. He volunteered extensively in the community, he gave to all who were in need, and he fully lived his values and his faith quietly, kindly, and humbly. During his retirement, Phil served as the President of the Heights Optimist Club, and as an Elder and Deacon in the Heights Cumberland Presbyterian Church. He loved golf, reading, traveling, being with friends and family, and telling humorous stories. We will miss his big heart and his generous spirit dearly.
Phil is survived by his wife, Sharon Loyd; daughter, Amy Loyd; son-in-law, Max Gruner; and granddaughter, Isabel Gruner. His memorial service will be held at 11:00am on February 24, 2024, at the Heights Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Albuquerque. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Joy Junction in Albuquerque or to the Good Samaritan Fund at his church. Alternately, Phil would want you to be kind to others, and to give of your time, money, and heart within your community to things that matter to you.
