Floyd Lyndol Carley

8/22/1921-3/07/2015

Resident of Woodside

Floyd Carley was born in Enid Oklahoma on August 22, 1921. His family moved shortly thereafter to Long Island, New York. After Floyd graduated from Columbia University in 1943, he joined the Navy and was accepted to Midshipman’s school in Chicago. As a Lieutenant Junior Grade Floyd was a radar officer in the Combat Information Center aboard the U.S.S. Satterlee which defended the Army Rangers scaling Point Du Hoc on D-Day. Floyd served his country from June 1943 until January 1946. In 2010 he was awarded the Chevalier Legion of Honor Medal for his service to France during the war. After the war, he obtained his M.B.A. from Harvard University in 1947 and relocated to San Francisco where Floyd met and married the girl of his dreams, Margaret Marion Munson in 1951.

In 1954 Floyd and a partner launched Guardian Packaging Corporation, a company specializing in flexible packaging. Guardian successfully grew to include two factories in the US, one in Spain and a part interest in two plants in India. As President and Founder, Floyd ran Guardian until 1987 when the business was sold to American Can Corporation. Floyd was a board member of The California State Parks Foundation, Filoli Center, Psoriasis Institute, and Menlo Country Club. An avid bird watcher (ranked 9th nationally at one time), golfer, tennis player, fly fisherman, skier and backpacker, Floyd was also a nationally ranked amateur runner and qualified for the Boston Marathon twice in his 60’s. A devoted father, he shared his interests with his children, convincing all four to run a marathon with him. He was also passionate about changing the law banning the domestic ferret in California.

Floyd lived in Woodside, CA, from 1958 until his passing on March 7, 2015. He is predeceased by his wife Margaret in 1963, and is survived by his sister Arlette Leitzell, and his children, Peter Carley, Jeanne Carley, Linda Carley Rosen and Tom Carley. He is also survived by daughter-in-law, Ramona Carley, Tom’s wife, as well as three grandchildren, Colleen, Kristen and Thomas, and one great grandchild, Cierra Thompson. A private celebration of Floyd Carley’s life is planned.