Lloyd R Cowger

LLOYD RAY COWGER, 81, PASSED AWAY PEACEFULLY IN HIS SLEEP ON OCTOBER 13, 2025, IN HIS HOME THAT HE BUILT IN 1972. HE WAS BORN NOVEMBER 4, 1943, IN PASADENA, CALIFORNIA, AND WAS ADOPTED AT 3 DAYS OLD BY HIS PARENTS, JESSE AND ZOLA INEZ COWGER. AROUND THE AGE OF 4, THE FAMILY MOVED BACK TO THEIR HOMETOWN AREA OF TRYON, OKLAHOMA. LLOYD GRADUATED FROM TRYON HIGH SCHOOL IN 1961. FOLLOWING HIGH SCHOOL, HE ATTENDED AUTOMOTIVE MECHANIC TRADE SCHOOL FOR TWO YEARS, ACQUIRING SKILLS THAT ENABLED HIM TO REPAIR AND WORK ON A WIDE VARIETY OF MACHINERY, WHICH HE ENJOYED THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE. AFTER TRADE SCHOOL, LLOYD WAS DRAFTED INTO THE U.S. ARMY, WHERE HE SERVED FOR TWO YEARS AND WAS STATIONED IN KOREA IN MISSILE DEFENSE. HE RECEIVED AN HONORABLE DISCHARGE AND RETURNED TO OKLAHOMA CITY. ON AUGUST 31, 1974, HE MARRIED HIS WIFE, LORETTA HINTHER, AND THEY SHARED 51 YEARS OF MARRIAGE AND HAD TWO CHILDREN, A SON, BRYAN AND A DAUGHTER, DEANA. IN 1968, LLOYD BEGAN WORKING FOR THE SANTA FE RAILROAD AS A SWITCHMAN. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, HE COMPLETED TRAINING TO BECOME A LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEER, A POSITION HE HELD WITH UNWAVERING DEDICATION, RARELY MISSING A DAY, UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT IN 2003. LLOYD HAD A DEEP LOVE AND PASSION FOR TRAINS. AS A BOY, HE MAINTAINED A LARGE COLLECTION OF MODEL TRAINS. HE ALSO WENT TO STEAM LOCOMOTIVE SHOWS AND ONCE GOT TO RIDE IN THE CAB OF THE UNION PACIFIC STEAM LOCOMOTIVE NO. 844 WITH THE ENGINEERS WHEN IT CAME TO TOWN, FROM EL RENO TO ENID. HE ENJOYED TAKING HIS FAMILY ON VACATIONS EVERY SUMMER TO THE LAKE WITH THE TRAVEL TRAILER, FISHING BOATS, AND JET BOAT, CREATING LASTING MEMORIES WITH HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN. LLOYD ALSO BECAME INTERESTED IN AIRPLANES AND OWNED A CHEROKEE 180, IN WHICH HIS SON, BRYAN, LEARNED TO FLY. AFTER RETIRING, LLOYD PURSUED HIS INTEREST IN TRAINS WITH A RIDEABLE MINIATURE STEAM LOCOMOTIVE, WHICH HE TOOK TO MINIATURE TRACKS AS A HOBBY. HE ALSO APPLIED HIS CREATIVE MECHANICAL SKILLS TO RESTORE TWO OLD FIRE TRUCKS TO FULL FUNCTIONALITY AND DONATED THEM TO LOCAL RURAL FIRE STATIONS. ADDITIONALLY, HE OWNED A TRACTOR-PULLED FIRE WATER PUMP THAT HE USED TO ASSIST IN EXTINGUISHING BRUSH FIRES IN THE SURROUNDING AREA OF HIS HOME. HE LOVED TRACTORS AND WOULD VISIT TRACTOR SHOWS; HE PARTICULARLY CHERISHED HIS MASSEY FERGUSON TRACTOR. THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE, LLOYD FOUND CREATIVE WAYS TO REPAIR TRUCKS, BOATS, TRACTORS, AND LAWN MOWERS. IF AN ITEM HAD AN ENGINE, HE KNEW HOW TO WORK ON IT. HE MADE ANONYMOUS DONATIONS TO HIS CHURCH, ANIMAL SHELTERS, AND INDIVIDUALS IN NEED. HE ATTENDED A LOCAL CHURCH AND PARTICIPATED IN THE MEN’S BIBLE STUDY. HE ENJOYED READING CHRISTIAN BOOKS, WITH CHARLES STANLEY BEING ONE OF HIS FAVORITE AUTHORS AND PREACHERS. LLOYD DEVELOPED A LOVE FOR GOLDEN RETRIEVERS AND HAD THREE DIFFERENT DOGS OVER THE YEARS THAT HE CHERISHED. HE TOOK PLEASURE IN TINKERING AND WOULD STUDY AND FIND SOLUTIONS FOR HIS PROJECTS. HE SPENT CONSIDERABLE TIME THINKING AND REFLECTING, LOVED READING VARIOUS BOOKS AND MANUALS TO ENHANCE HIS MECHANICAL KNOWLEDGE, AND LOVED TO TELL A GOOD PERSONAL STORY TO ANYONE WHO WOULD LISTEN. LLOYD IS SURVIVED BY HIS WIFE OF 51 YEARS, LORETTA; HIS SON, SON’S WIFE, GRANDSON, DAUGHTER, FAMILY AND FRIENDS.