Wade Cloyd Obituary

Wade Cloyd, 89, of Hilton Head Island, Former Corporate Communications Executive. Wade W. Cloyd went home to be with the Lord on August 26, 2014. Wade Cloyd served in corporate communications capacities for United States Rubber Company, American Standard Corporation, American Optical Corporation (Warner Lambert) and Raybestos-Manhattan, Inc. and Raymark Corporation. He completed 22 years with American Optical as Director of Corporate Communications prior to becoming Vice President of Corporate Communications for Raybestos-Manhattan in 1980 retiring in 1986. After moving to Hilton Head Island in 1986, he was active as a communications consultant for major healthcare firms. During World War II he served in the U.S. Navy emerging as a Lieut. j.g. Cloyd served as an ordained Elder for Providence Presbyterian Church concentrating on communications. He had been a Rotarian for 31 years in Massachusetts, Connecticut and on Hilton Head. A co-founder of the Sturbridge (MA) Rotary Club, he was elected the group's second president. Cloyd was awarded Rotary's highly-regarded Paul Harris Fellowship by the club in 1976. Since arriving on Hilton Head, Cloyd has been active in the community. He was a member of the second class of Leadership Hilton Head sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce. He has provided communications support for a variety of organizations including the United Way and the League of Women Voters. Active in Island politics, he served as campaign manager for Mayor Harvey Ewing. A former volunteer marshal at the Heritage Golf Classic, he also has been a board member at Spanish Wells Club. Cloyd was a member of the Presbyterian Men of the Church organization serving as president in the 1991-1992 year. He has provided communications services for the first ten Christian Heritage Breakfasts and for the annual Christian Ethics and Moral Values Symposia for southeastern college students. In 1999, this group of men from First, Lowcountry and Providence Presbyterian Churches named him "Man of the Year" for service to the church and the community. He also was responsible for the publicity and promotion related to five Spiritual Emphasis Weeks programs which brought such noted theologians as Fr. Henri Nouwen, Ravi Zacharias and Tony Campolo to Hilton Head. He was preceded in death by his first wife of 28 years, Sigrid Cloyd. Cloyd is a graduate of Union College (Schenectady, NY), New York University Graduate School of Business and the Worcester Polytechnic Institute School of Industrial Management. He is survived by his wife of 30 years Mary A. Cloyd and three sons: Wade W. Cloyd III (Dorothy) of Granbury, TX; Kris D. Cloyd (Veronica) of Boylston, MA; and Scott T. Cloyd (Rose) of Mt. Dora, FL. He also leaves four grandsons, Dr. Jeffrey Wade Cloyd, Andrew J. Cloyd, Matthew J. Cloyd and Benjamin Cloyd; a niece, Sigrid Howell of Mashpee, MA and nephews Jon Thorsten of Lumberton, NC and Kris Thorsten of San Diego, CA. In addition, he leaves a stepson, Richard P. Cooper and two stepdaughters, Lynne Cooper and Karen McDonough, all of Massachusetts. He also leaves ten step-grandchildren and ten step-great grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at Providence Presbyterian Church on September 20 at 1:00 pm with the Rev. Jerry Kramer officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Providence Presbyterian Church Carillon Fund, 171 Cordillo Dr., Hilton Head, SC 29928 or Hospice Care of America, 460 William Hilton Pkwy, Hilton Head, SC 29926. Arrangements entrusted to The Island Funeral Home and Crematory. www.theislandfuneralhome.com.