Lloyd Edward Disney

Lloyd Edward Disney was born in Des Moines, Iowa on August 26, 1925 to Ernest Edward and Mary Jane (Miller) Disney. Ernest died in 1928 leaving Mary, Lloyd, and half-sister Rhea alone as the U.S. rolled into the Great Depression. Lloyd was raised by his widowed mother, who worked in a school for disabled children. He helped out with part time jobs; and had a duel high school enrollment at East and West High Schools in Des Moines, with West offering him drafting and pre-engineering courses. At 19 he volunteered for the Army with a friend and was assigned to the Navy. Although his ship didn’t see combat it faced the worst typhoon ever recorded and promptly sank leaving Lloyd and his shipmates bobbing in lifeboats. They were soon rescued and eventually landed in Shanghai where another of nature’s problems was presented – malaria. With the war over he made good use of the G. I. Bill and graduated from Drake University with a Bachelor’s in Business and Accounting in 1950. In 1948 he first saw Erma on the pitcher’s mound in a fast-pitch softball game. In 1952 he married Erma Margaret (Robb) Shaffer and with her daughter Sandra, age six, started off on a partnership that was to last six decades. First working for the IRS in Ottumwa he switched to Des Moines’s premier business – insurance – and rose quickly through the ranks of Hawkeye Security. When their daughter went off to college the empty nesters heeded the call of the west and moved to San Francisco where his star continued to rise as Treasurer and Vice President in Industrial Indemnity and Beaver Insurance Companies. In 1994 Lloyd and Erma retired to Arizona. Lloyd loved classical and pop music (of the ‘40s & 50s). Recently, he was a big fan of Tony Bennett’s “I Left My Heart in San Francisco”; and he was a faithful follower of the local group Cold Soup. In March he was thrilled to make the trip, with great grandson Collin, to Washington D. C. courtesy of the Arizona Honor Flight organization for WW II vets. Lloyd is survived by daughter Sandra, granddaughters Tania, Ashley, and Jacqueline, grandson David Lyle, 9 great grandchildren, and 4 great-great grandchildren.The family wishes to express their gratitude to Lisa Fillman, dear friend and liaison, for all the service that she has given to Lloyd that eased the way over the last few years of his life. He requested cremation. Lloyd and Erma will be interred at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona on a date yet to be determined. In lieu of flowers, donations in Lloyd’s name can be made to Alzheimer’s Foundation of America.

Lloyd Edward Disney

August 26, 1925 - May 10, 2016