Walter Wesley Loyd

1924 - 2018

Walter Wesley Loyd

San Antonio, TX

Walter Wesley (Wes) Loyd died peacefully in San Antonio on November 20, 2018 at the age of 94. He was born to Walter C. and Mary L. Loyd on May 28, 1924 in Sabinal, Texas. When he was 2 years old, Mr. and Mrs. Loyd purchased 5 acers in Driscoll, Texas where the family relocated. He and his 3 siblings grew up on the farm and he attended Driscoll School. In June 1941, at the age of 17, he left school and enlisted in the U.S. Navy. After completing bootcamp, he was assigned to the U.S.S. Neosho, a fuel tanker and headed for Pearl Harbor. On the morning of December 7, 1941, his ship was docked in the middle of Battleship Row. He and his fellow crew members had spent the night unloading fuel into several battleships. He was in the galley eating an orange when he heard the alarms. He along with the majority of fellow sailors believed the alarm was just another drill. Running to his battle station at the bow, the awful truth of an attack became apparent. His Captain was able to maneuver the Neosho out to sea. While most of the sailors aboard the Neosho were unharmed, they would forever be haunted by the carnage they had witnessed. Wes spent the next four years of WW II moving about the Pacific, as needed. In 1945, he was aboard the U.S.S. Springfield in Tokyo Bay at the official surrender and signing ceremony between Japan and America.

After Wes was honorably discharged, he returned to Driscoll where he married Naomi Stewart and together they raised three children. He spent 27 years as a Fireman and Engineer with the Missouri Pacific Railroad. He then went to work at the Celanese Plant in Bishop as a welder and he finished his career and retired as a welder at the Valero Plant in Three Rivers.

After his first marriage ended, he married Marjorie Miller Hutto in 1975. The couple resided in the Corpus Christi area for a while and then moved to Sweeny Switch where they lived together until 2014. It was while Wes was living at Sweeny Switch that he made great friends with the residents living in the small community. He often shared stories of the great times/experiences he had with those friends.

Wes is preceded in death by his wife Marjorie Hutto Loyd, his parents, Walter and Mary Loyd, brothers, LaMoyne and Wayne Loyd and sister, Oleta Loyd Bogard. He is also preceded in death by his great granddaughter Megan Murdoch and step-son Kenneth Hutto.

He is survived by his children, Stephen (Michelle) Loyd of North Carolina, Sherry Loyd of San Antonio and Mark Loyd of Victoria, granddaughter, Stephanie (Chad) Turany, grandson Evan Loyd and great grandsons, Hunter Murdoch and Tate Turany.

He is also survived by step sons Robert (Nancy) of Markham, Tx. Jerry (Karen) of New Braunfels, Tx. and Leonard (June) Hutto of Thailand, 17 additional grand children and 20 great grandchildren, plus numerous nieces and nephews.

A Memorial service with Military Honors will be held at Coastal Bend State Veterans Cemetery, Corpus Christi, on December 14, 2018 at 1:00pm.