Steve's Obituary

Stephen Edward Lloyd

May 9, 1967 -April 29, 2014

Clyde - Stephen Lloyd, father, husband and master ceramicist, died suddenly of a cerebral edema of unknown cause on April 29, 2014. He was 46 years old, in the prime of his life, and at the apex of his career. May his death serve as a reminder to all that life is fragile, too short, and not to be wasted. He is survived by his wife, Rebecca (Haley) Lloyd, and his teenage daughters, Jesse Caroline and Austin Cassidy Lloyd of Clyde; his parents, Timothy Lee and Susan Jane (Wright) Lloyd of Northfield, MN; his brother and sister-in-law, Timothy Lloyd Jr. and Kara Lloyd; his aunt and uncle, Martha and Thomas Edward Wright; ten cats and a dog, Charlie. His passing is an unfathomable loss to his many families - his wife and children, his parents, and his large families of friends and colleagues.

Steve was born in Northfield, MN, where he attended Northfield High School, class of 1985. He then attended Beloit College in Wisconsin where he received a B.A. in studio art. It was at Beloit that Steve met Becky Haley, a fellow ceramicist and the love of his life. The two were married in Northfield on May 16, 1992. The couple moved to Edwardsville, IL where Steve received his M.F.A. in Ceramics from Southern Illinois University. After receiving his degree, Becky and Steve started Lloyd Pottery in Princeton, MN. Steve taught at Anoka-Ramsey Community College from 1996 - 2004. The couple and Lloyd Pottery then moved to Clyde, NC outside of Asheville where Steve taught in the Professional Craft Program at Haywood Community College before becoming a full-time and highly-decorated studio potter.

As potters, Steve and Becky merged their considerable talents as ceramic artists to create the Lloyd Pottery hallmark style -- striking works in porcelain that were designed and thrown by Steve and carved by Becky using her intricate sgraffito technique. Steve and Becky have enjoyed a supportive community of fellow working artists at the Southern Highland Craft Guild, and in 2014 they became members of the cooperative Ariel Gallery in downtown Asheville.

In addition to being a celebrated ceramic artist, Steve will be remembered by his numerous friends and his family as an expert in many things, and an aficionado of many more - Volvos, music, vegetarian cooking, craft beer, and music, to name a few. He took immense pleasure in introducing people to the things that he loved. As a teacher, Steve was patient, encouraging, and gave so many students the confidence and support they needed at exactly the right time.

It was the domestic sphere, in his role as father and husband that Steve was at his happiest. Even-keeled, always the optimist, a skilled listener and his family members' biggest champion, Steve's joy was never as keenly felt as when he was making dinner for his family and enjoying conversation with Becky and the girls. In time, perhaps those who love him will take some consolation in the fact that at the time of his death Steve was living exactly as he wished - a happy and successful working artist surrounded by a loving family and extended community of close friends.

At this time, there is no date set for a formal memorial. Friends and family are encouraged to celebrate Steve's life and memory in their own ways, on their own terms. Friends should consult the "Steve Lloyd Remembered" page on Facebook for more information on future memorial plans.

Those wishing to make donations in Steve's name should direct them to the Southern Highland Craft Guild, P.O. Box 9545, Asheville, NC 28815. Include on the memo line "Steve Lloyd Memorial." - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/citizen-times/obituary.aspx?n=steven-lloyd&pid=170934721#sthash.Lc3QF85q.dpuf