Obituary Notice
This obituary notice has been digitally processed from a scanned archival document. Some words may be imperfectly rendered.
Fr. THomas Lloyd (1932-1998) “Suom Fu Daniel, CP I have been asked to. preach today because I met Thomas on Padding- ton Station in--September 1955, | where we:caught the train to Broad- way ~.the Passionist Noviciate.. On that journey, I learned two things. about Thomas which were always to be part ofhis life. . He took down his suitcase and started writing letters. Maybe somebody had told him that ~ once we were in the noviciate our letters would be read before being sent out, so he was taking advantage of one last opportunity. But as we all know, Thomas was an inveterate letter-writer. We reckoned that he must have spent most of his spare tine browsing in card shops - we have all been in receipt of those cards - always apposite and always bearing the mark of his individu sense of humour. The other thing I discovered on that journey was his gift with languages - one of the letters was in German, and I subsequently discovered that he was fluent in not only German, but French as well. The year’s noviciate was marked by his tremendous industry and energy - and also again, his humour. When we moved up to Minsteracres in Northumberland for our studies, our parents were allowed to come for one week in the year to visit us. We, of course, were not allowed home during ‘4li those years.’ The first year that Thomas’ parents came, the Rector’ decided to show his father around the monastery - women were not allowed inside the enclosure. That night when Thomas described this for us, we discovered the origins of his humour, because when his father returned from the grand tour, his mother said: “Well, what was it like?” “NowI understand,” was the reply, “what Henry the Eighth was after!” After our years of study, we were ordained in 1962. 1 never lived in the same house as Thomas after that, but our paths often crossed. He spent a great deal of his time in those early years in our various parishes - he got me to give a retreat te the youth club at Highgate on one occasion when he was in charge of that. We always reckon that his best years were when he was chap- lain at Brunel University - the job suited him perfectly. Again he asked me to give the students a retreat, and one evening when they were in talkative mood they got talk- ing about Thomas. The apprecia- tion they had for him, and also their honesty, is best summed up in one of
the quotes of that evening: “We learned early on not to be fooled by those bottle glasses!” It’s worth mentioning that Thomas always lived with physical handi- caps -his poor eyesight, the obvious pain and. trouble he had in later years with his feet - and of course his kidney. I was with him the night the phone call came through that a kidney was available and he had to go straight away to the hospi- tal. It was an incredible nioment of panic, euphoria and uncertainty. I mention his health because Thomas never allowed any of this to stop him working ~- he had that dogged deter- mination to make the best possible use of every moment that was given to him. , As we now know, he had fifteen years after the operation. He did a course in Ireland which he used to the full, not only to study, but also to travel. Thomas was an expert on all forms of public transport. He then went to work in Sweden. Here his gift with languages came to the fore - he was speaking and preaching within a year! Then he spent a year in a Swedish college, learning their culture and history. It was largely. due to his health that he had to return, He never had liked cold weather! So his final seven years were spent at Blakeney in Nor- folk. It is so good to know that there will be a memorial service there tomorrow evening when all that he did there can be remembered and celebrated. My main memory of Blakeney, where I stayed on three occasions, was of all his tapes of music (ope of his great passions) and ail the books. He who had once worked in a library would have had no problem sorting his books- they give a perfect in- sight into his life and his faith. There were books of poetry, theol- ogy, prayer, scriputre, spirituality - and another of his great passions - Justice & Peace. I'd like to conclude by showing you his prayer-book - like Thomas him- self, a little battered and obviously well-used. On the front he has pasted this from the Syrian Liturgy - it must have meant an awful lot to | him to have it always there before him. “HOW FAIR AND LOVELY IS THE HOPK WHICH THE LORD GAVE TO THE DREAD WHEN HE LAY DOWN LIKE THEM BESIDE THEM RISE UP, COME FORTH AND SING PRAISE TO HIM WHO HAS RAISED YOU FROM DESTRUCTION’ What a perfect summing up of Thomas’s life ~ and his faith: May he rest in peace.
Source: Obituary Notices, Provincial Archive, St Joseph's Province. Passionist Congregation.