Patrick A. Lyons

PATRICK A.
LYONS, 81
Advertising Entrepreneur

LAKELAND - Patrick A. Lyons, 81, passed away of congestive heart failure, on March 9, 2008 in Lakeland, Florida after having been a Lakeland resident since 1936.
He was born in Jacksonville, Florida on November 5, 1926 and moved to Lakeland at the age of 10. As a graduate of the 1945 class of Lakeland High School and accomplished athlete, he lettered for two years in the Lakeland Dreadnaughts football, basketball, and baseball teams. After high school, he served two years in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
In 1949, Pat Lyons married the former Carolee Martin, a Lakeland native. He was a member of the Lakeside Baptist Church, the Lakeland Yacht and Country Club, the American Legion, the Grand Lodge Number 256 Freemason, Royal Arch Mason, Chapter R.A.M., Grand Council R.S. of Florida, the Egypt Shrine Temple of Tampa, Lakeland Shrine Club, and was board member of the City of Lakeland Advertising and Publicity Board, 1989.
Mr. Lyons was a unique creative talent in the area of advertising and signage. For over 30 years he owned/co-owned and operated the outdoor advertising establishments: Douglass Signs, Lyons Outdoor and managed Outdoor Media creating well-known logos like the "PBL" for People's Bank of Lakeland. He also brought state-of-the-art signage technology to the region, including the "sputnik" revolving neon satellite recently restored at Jenkins' Lincoln Mercury Dealer on Main Street. In 1979, he founded Creative Specialties by Lyons a full service specialty advertising firm.
On a more personal level, Pat was a man of deep religious convictions, family-oriented and particularly skilled in the game of billiards. In 1963, he and two other partners recognized a need for family-oriented billiard entertainment and founded Kue King, an open and inviting billiards establishment for the youth of Lakeland and their families. In 1984, as well as 2001, Pat and Carolee won the City of Lakeland's Beautification Award for outstanding residential landscape design.
Mr. Lyons is survived by his wife of 57 years, Carolee Martin Lyons, and their two children: Debbi Snyder and husband Roger of Lakeland, and, Neil Lyons and wife Ruth of Highland, Maryland. He is also survived by three grandsons, a granddaughter, a great-grandson, and a sister: Patrick C. Snyder and wife Heather, Andrew M. Snyder and wife Carly, Garrett Lyons, Alyson Lyons, Drew Snyder, and Mary Francis Crawford of Winter Haven.
A private service will be held graveside at Lakeland Memorial Gardens. Condolences may be sent to the family at
HeathFuneralChapel.com.