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Dylan Lloyd, 62, a resident of Hyde Park in Chicago, passed away on May 5, 2023 at Evanston Hospital after a lengthy battle with cancer, with his fiancée Elisa Barrios at his side. Dylan was born on August 17, 1960 in Cumnor, Oxfordshire, England to parents Patricia (Parker) and Monte Brewster Lloyd. Dylan attended Ray Elementary School in Hyde Park and Whitney Young Magnet High School and received his BA in English Literature from Roosevelt University. He first worked as a landscaper, then as a bicycle messenger, and eventually found his niche as a building trades craftsman who specialized in renovating old homes.
He was delivered at home by a midwife on the farm his family lived on in Cumnor while his father was a Fellow at Oxford University. His early years were spent in Southern California till the family moved to Hyde Park in 1967 when his father joined the Department of Ecology and Evolution at The University of Chicago. His childhood was benchmarked by his experiences accompanying his father on scientific field research trips to Costa Rica, Isle Royale in Lake Superior, and most notably to many states around the Midwest to attend the emergence of broods of periodic cicadas on 13-year and 17-year cycles, on which his father was an internationally-recognized expert.
Dylan’s curiosity was broad enough to engage with a diverse variety of interests and relate them to his own experiences for the whole of his life. While a student he fell in love with the works of William Shakespeare and would regularly quote from his favorite plays, or reference a psychological insight first made by the Bard which he found appropriate to a current event. He inherited a scientific mind and gift for perception from his father, and an artist’s eye and gift for perspective from his mother. He used these unique skills to create and recreate items in the built environment from brick garden paths and antique staircases to hand-crafted cast metal architectural pieces. He respected the architectural integrity of the old homes in which he worked and delighted in improving their components. He considered no job too small for his complete commitment. A walk through any block of Hyde Park finds a house on each where he repaired, replaced, or improved some element inside or outside the home. His artistry and perfectionism earned him a devoted following among the homeowners who retained his services for decades. His spirit resides in every project to which he put his hand. The fruits of his labor, creativity, and imagination will be enjoyed and appreciated for generations to come.
Dylan was a devoted son and brother and was known to all as a loving and dedicated father. He proudly described himself as his son’s “Number 1 Fan.” His humanist outlook informed and was expressed in all his decisions and actions. Dylan’s neighbors, friends and family unfailingly describe him as a gentle soul, an artist, a thinker, and as the kindest, nicest, and most helpful person they ever met. It was universally recognized that all dogs and cats loved Dylan. He was someone who always helped others, and he wanted to be remembered that way. The combined languages of the human and animal kingdoms cannot articulate how profoundly he will be missed.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his older brother Ian Lloyd. He is survived by his fiancée Elisa Barrios, his son Dylan Lloyd, Jr., his sisters Susan (Garth) Dixon of Wisconsin, Karen Loani-Lloyd of New York, and cousins Caroline Parker and Kate Parker of New York. At his direction, there will be no viewing and no funeral service. He requested that his cremated ashes be spread with those of his mother on his brother’s wilderness land in New Mexico. There will be a celebration of Dylan’s life in September.
