Lloyd died May 23, 1986, of lymphoma. He was born in his grandparent's home in Lapeer, MI, June 27, 1918. He attended public school in East Lansing before getting his bachelor's degree from Michigan State and his master's from Cornell College in Iowa.

Lloyd was member of the Civilian Public Service smokejumpers jumping the 1944-45 seasons at Missoula.

After the war he received his Ph.D. from Washington State University and took a teaching position at the University of Minnesota. He moved to Kansas in 1955, taking a teaching position at Kansas State University. Lloyd felt his crowning achievement at K State was the establishment, in 1976, of Konza Prairie and 8,600 acre outdoor laboratory.

Even while stricken with cancer, Lloyd "climbed out of his sick bed" and gave his lectures at the University.