Lloyd Naylor II

Lloyd Roberts Naylor II was born on Aug. 12, 1932, at home on the family farm near Mowrystown, Ohio, being the only child of Lloyd Roberts Naylor I and Hazel Jane Shaw Naylor. Lloyd passed from this earth on Nov. 1, 2025, at Hillsboro Post Acute Care Skilled Nursing Facility after a hard-fought battle with multiple health issues since March 2025.

Lloyd dedicated his entire life to farming, caring for God's creation. His dedication to the dairy operation was incredible, having not been away from the farm overnight from 1955, when on his honeymoon, until 1993, when his family finally persuaded him to take a trip to California. He worked baling hay all summer to feed the cows, as well as corn for silage, pasture and was forever mending fences. Truly, nothing gets your attention any more than the words "the cows are out." Many family hours were spent together taking care of the tobacco crop. In 1994, he transitioned from Dairy to Beef cattle and continued to work, but at least he was not at the barn two times daily to milk.

Lloyd was a member of the Mowrystown Church of Christ for all his life. He loved to recall being baptized in the creek at the age of 10. He was an elder, Sunday School teacher, and for over 30 years had perfect attendance at Sunday School and Church. In his quiet manner, he encouraged his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren to attend church in order to assure their understanding of God's love. He delighted over the years as each of them was baptized and grew in their faith.He loved attending the Oldies but Goodies monthly gathering at the church and was eager to invite others to join the fun as well.

Lloyd graduated from Whiteoak High School in 1950 and was in the first class to attend all 12 years in the current Whiteoak High School building. He attended the Whiteoak High School Alumni every May until 2025, when health would not permit travel. Lloyd was a member of the Bright Local School District Board of Education for 10 years. He fondly recalled the many people he had the opportunity to know in this capacity.

The community knew when to find him in the milking parlor and would arrive to discuss items of concern at that time. We knew the routine that when someone arrived to discuss business, we would leave the milk parlor and busy ourselves with other tasks.

While in school, he started in the band playing the trombone, something that brought him great enjoyment all his life. He was a member of Clark Alexander's Melodiers, The Big Three Band, the Maysville Community Band, The Southern State Community College Band, The Shriners Band and for over 70 years, the Liberty Cornet Band in West Union. He and his father both played with the Liberty Band, a position they were proudly encouraged to audition for.

Music in school enabled him to travel to many locations in the Tri-State area to attend various events, including fairs, parades, holiday celebrations, an inauguration, birthdays, dedications, anniversaries, festivals, and dedications to provide music.

Lloyd was a member of the Whiteoak Valley Grange, which he joined while in high school. Lloyd was a member of the Sardinia Masonic Lodge for 72 years, where he was a longstanding secretary for the lodge and held various other offices. He belonged to the Valley of Cincinnati Scottish Rite Chapter. In 1993, he received a call late one night from a fellow member asking him if he could go to Milwaukee the next year. Much to his surprise, fellow members had secretly nominated him to receive the 33rd degree, a very high honor in the Lodge. This was a call he could hardly believe, as the next morning, he questioned Betty as to whether he had told her about this call when he came to bed that night. He was truly overwhelmed with this honor. In 1994, Lloyd and Betty traveled to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to receive the degree.

During his sophomore year of high school, the Gray family moved into the house across the road from the farm and they had a daughter in his grade. While in their junior year of school, he was sitting on the stage talking to the guys and a girl named Elizabeth Ann Gray got his attention by knocking him off the stage with a dodgeball. This was the start of an ongoing, remarkable relationship. She was originally from Dayton, Ohio, and after her junior class year, her family moved back to Dayton, much to her dismay. However, they maintained a long-distance relationship for the next six years.

On March 26, 1955, they married at the Concord Methodist Church in Englewood, Ohio, and she then moved down to the farm. Their family grew with the addition of their daughter, Debbie (Naylor) Purvis-Heaton and her husband, Keith Heaton. They have a son, Lloyd Roberts (Robbie) Naylor III. God blessed them with five grandchildren. Randy Heaton, Michael Purvis, Jason Purvis, Elizabeth (Beth) Naylor Page (Michael), and Caroline (Carrie) Naylor Swisshelm (Nathan). He was preceded in death by one granddaughter, Beth Heaton.

The family again grew with the blessing of great-grandchildren, Brianna Purvis Hall (Austin), Clayton Purvis (Allison Carl), Madison Purvis, Makenna Purvis, Christine Page, Clara Page, Chloe Page, Cullen Page, and Kasey Swisshelm.

On June 25, 2025, Lloyd was again blessed with his first great-great-granddaughter with the birth of Willow Elaine Purvis. He was so pleased when he was able to meet Willow in July and have a five-generation picture with his family.

He was preceded in death by his best friend and wife, Betty, on Jan. 10, 2025. He was greatly disappointed that they were not able to celebrate their 70th anniversary in March.

We can not begin to understand how we can ever thank our family, friends, community, church and coworkers for their support during this journey over the past 17 months. Lloyd enjoyed each of the many cards, visits, snacks, gifts, flowers, balloons and he knew there were many prayers being said for him. His 93rd birthday in August was so special to him because of the outpouring of best wishes. He received well over 100 cards and we helped him read each card. We, as well, read the multitude of Facebook birthday wishes to him.

Lloyd was so grateful for all the love and support that was shown during Betty's illness and after her passing. The beautiful flowers, all who attended her visitation and funeral during such cold weather, the wonderful food, family being able to travel to be with him, the hugs and prayers were a great comfort for him during such a challenging time. Those were memories we could recall and find comfort in during the past few months.

There are not enough positive words that can be written to show our appreciation and love for the staff at Hillsboro Post Acute Care Skilled Nursing Facility over the past eight months. Dr. David Gunderman and Nanci Haecker, FNP, were always available to provide the best of care with compassion and the gift of comfort. The staff lovingly referred to Lloyd as Papaw, just like family. They were so dedicated to keeping him comfortable, providing the best of health care.

Because of advanced arthritis, he had not been able to be moved from his bed since March, which made him be rather isolated. However, staff lovingly came to his room to have conversations, joke with him, tell him of their activities and introduce themselves. It was such a comfort to witness his ongoing quick wit and see his smiles as he interacted with the staff, even at those times when health decline caused challenging days to occur. The window in his room looked out at the front entrance and he was able to monitor the comings and goings of staff and visitors, watch the grass being mowed, all the wildlife that visited his window, deer, skunks, rabbits, squirrels, birds, groundhogs, and chipmunks. We jokingly made him the news reporter for the facility. Being a health care provider requires special people and God placed them in that profession for a reason. This facility is filled with special people that God chose to provide care to His children and each of them are such a blessing. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!!

Funeral Services will be held on Monday, Nov. 10, 2025, at 1 p.m. at the Mowrystown Church of Christ, 28 W. Main St., Mowrystown, OH, with Pastor Chris Gobin officiating. Interment will follow in the Fincastle Cemetery. A meal luncheon will be provided at the church following interment.

Friends will be received on Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025, at the Mowrystown Church of Christ Community Building from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. with Masonic and Eastern Star Services beginning at 7 p.m.

Edgington Funeral Home, Mowrystown, has been entrusted with the arrangements.

Contributions in Lloyd's memory may be made to the Mowrystown Church of Christ, P.O. Box 17, Mowrystown, OH 45155. To sign the online gust book, go to www.edgingtonfuneralhomes.com.