In October of 2017, cancer picked a fight with my brother. On April 14, 2018, my brother ended it. It was an unfair fight with a brutal opponent.
Kerry Lavell Lloyd was born July 25, 1957. He was an artist, a collector, a hunter, a loner, a giver of wildly unusual gifts, a man of prayer. He lived simply and on his own terms; it was important to him that he wake every day with a purpose. Kerry loved being productive until cancer robbed him of that. He'll be best remembered for being hilarious and a bit prickly, often gentle, sometimes sharp, always curious and contemplative. Completely unique. He never asked for much from anyone, but my brother was highly appreciative of any kindness and frequently amazed by the love others had for him. He was a fascinating man.
Kerry adored his family. And we adored him back. We, like all families watching a loved one spar with cancer, were helpless and heartsick from the sidelines as he walked, then limped, then ultimately crawled the thorny road of pancreatic cancer alone. But, of course, we all had cancer-that's what cancer does to a family. We were not ready to lose him, but he was ready to leave, and we are grateful that he has achieved relief from all the burdens of this terrible disease.
It will take us a bit longer.
Kerry leaves behind his loving parents, Joyce and Lavell Lloyd: tireless, heartbroken champions; best friends and brothers Kelly Lloyd (wife Diana), and Kory Lloyd; and a sister, Ka Hancock (husband Mark) who weeps as she writes this small tribute. He had many nieces and nephews and a slew of little ones who loved him as well. Our world is smaller without him.
We love our Kerry. We are bereft. But we've been bereft since October.
A small funeral service will be held at 11 o'clock on Friday, April 20th at Wasatch Lawn 3401 South Highland Drive in Salt Lake City.
