Cathy Lloyd

Cathy Lloyd, wife, mother, entrepreneur, actress, night owl, lover of fairies and of good books passed away peacefully at home on June 6, 2016. Mary Catherine (Cathy) was born in Washington on May 11, 1942, to Richard C. Young and Willa (Briley) Young. She lived in Washington virtually all of her life. She developed her well-known sense of humor and love of mischief at an early age, and it sometimes got her in a bit of trouble as a grade-schooler. On one occasion, Cathy saved herself the trouble of having to make that long walk to the principal’s office, as she slid down the school bannister and right into the waiting arms of the principal. She attended Washington High School where she was a majorette, a member of the National Honor Society and a homecoming queen candidate, graduating in 1960. As a teen, Cathy spent many hours at the Washington Golf and Country Club, working on her golf game and playing in area tournaments. Fittingly, she met her future husband Jim on the golf course. They would come to spend much of their married and family life there over the years, enjoying many rounds of golf together, even winning the club championship in the same year. Her score of 34 still stands as the women’s course record. She attended the University of Iowa, and she and Jim were married in 1961. Cathy wore many hats in her life. She was a lifeguard and swim instructor, an aerobics dance teacher, a disco dance teacher, artist, golf instructor, theater choreographer, TV spokesmodel, and entrepreneur. She was president of the women’s board of WG&CC, served on the YMCA board, was a Campfire Girls leader and was a member of Chapter J PEO and Chapter Y TTT. She founded Heartland Bicycle Tours in the 1980s, taking visitors on bike tours of Iowa and the Caribbean and was named as one of Entrepreneur Magazine’s American Success Stories as Iowa’s Entrepreneur of the Year. She helped start the Washington Hospital Gift Shop and later opened her own novel-concept retail shop, The Village, on the square in Washington in 2008. Cathy participated in dozens of the Washington Y’s Men and Washington Community Theater productions over the years. Some of her favorite roles were as Tzietel in Fiddler on the Roof; Lucy in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and Gwendolyn - one of the “coo-coo Pigeon sisters” in The Odd Couple. A multi-generation Washingtonian, Cathy had a fierce pride in the town in which she was born, contributing to its betterment in many ways. Years ago, Cathy was instrumental in starting a dog park for the town, and recently she spearheaded a program to collect funds to refurbish the Washington County Courthouse bell. She loved to listen to its comforting tolling late into the night and thought perhaps others had also missed that familiar sound. Some of Cathy’s fondest memories are those times spent with her friends. On trips to Colorado, Mexico and on 13 RAGBRAIs, Cathy loved being outdoors in nature. She took her grandson Ethan on trips to Yellowstone and to the Pacific Northwest sea-kayaking and went on midnight bicycle rides around Washington with granddaughter Darrah to “smell the petunias.” One of her favorite things was a middle-of-the night snowy walk with her dog. Cathy was always up for an adventure. Surviving are her husband James Lloyd of Washington; daughters Lisa (Willy) Krotz of Iowa City and Jennifer (Steve) Hanssen of Cave Creek, Arizona; two grandchildren, Darrah and Ethan Krotz; step-grandson Jackson Hanssen; and one sister, Julie Knopf, of New York. She was preceded in death by her parents and step-father, two step-sisters and her beloved dog, Chamois. Cathy was so much more than these words can capture. She was an artistic, witty, complex and unconventional person who lived life largely as she chose to live it, taking everyone who knew her along for the ride. Per Cathy’s wishes, no services will be held, but friends are invited to gather between 4 p.m-6 p.m. on Sunday, June 26, at the Café Dodici in Washington to honor her memory. Jones & Eden Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. Donations in Cathy’s name may be made to the Clearity Foundation for ovarian cancer research (clearityfoundation.org) or to Hospice of Washington County.

Cathy Lloyd

May 11, 1942 - June 6, 2016