Lloyd Mincy Jr.

Lloyd Thomas Mincy Jr. was a loving man and an optimistic person. Nothing in life ever seemed to be a problem for him. He was extremely accommodating and took his responsibility to his family very seriously. At one and the same time, he was matter-of-fact and light-hearted, responsible and outrageous. He took joy in making others laugh, and in a signature mix of honesty and humor, he was known to crack, "It is crummy feeling crummy." Lloyd’s energy and hopeful outlook on life could be marked by the Dr. Seuss book he called his favorite: "Oh, the Places You'll Go."

Lloyd Thomas Jr. was born to Lloyd and Karen Mincy on October 30, 1964 at Hutzle Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. It was a decade of radical change in America, but despite the Vietnam War, protests on college campuses, and the assassination of key political leaders, the United States made gains in civil rights and the space race.

Contributing to the thriving automobile industry that put Detroit on the map, Lloyd Sr. worked at TRW Automotive in Sterling Heights while Karen cared for four children at home. Lloyd Jr. and his younger siblings—Craig, Lori and Christy—grew up on the East side of Detroit and moved to Sterling Heights when Lloyd Jr. was five years old. He attended elementary school in Sterling Heights before moving to Troy in 1976 and graduating from Troy Athens High School in 1983.

The fact that young Lloyd was a sports’ enthusiast figured prominently in his schooling and leisure. Quite naturally he was a fan of the Detroit Tigers and the Michigan State Spartans, especially when he became a student at MSU and the ultimate frat boy at Sigma Chi Fraternity. He went to many Spartan football, basketball and hockey games, and he and his mom even went to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. Lloyd’s mom had promised that if he got good grades and graduated, and if the Spartans made it, then the two of them would go to the Rose Bowl. Lloyd cashed in on his graduation gift when he got his diploma in 1988 and was sitting in Rose Bowl stadium to see the Spartans beat USC on January 1, 1989. He was a loyal MSU Alumnus ever after to say the least.

As a responsible yet carefree adult, Lloyd gained somewhat of a reputation for losing his keys and wallet or dropping his cell phone in a beverage or a lake. He once looked for his keys for half an hour, only to discover them in his back pocket. Yet because of his characteristic good attitude, Lloyd could let such frustrations roll right off him.

Lloyd’s easy-going manner was accompanied by a playful personality and at least one quirk. For example, Lloyd was near-sighted and color blind, but he never went to the eye doctor for glasses. Instead, he sometimes watched TV through binoculars while laying in bed. Also, he liked to party and celebrated Halloween with particular gusto, because his birthday was the day before. His costumes ranged from Austin Powers and Toga boy to a disco ball. St. Patrick’s Day was another occasion for being outrageous, but in truth, Lloyd used any holiday or special occasion as an excuse to dress up. It served him well in a major way when he had a toga party at his house in Beverly Hills, Michigan. He invited Candace Campell, who later became his wife.

With that first date in May of 1996, Lloyd and Candace began a relationship that developed into marriage and family. They married on July 26, 1997 in Birmingham, Michigan in a Lutheran Church and soon started a family. When Candace was pregnant, she and Lloyd played Scrabble every night for the entire pregnancy. He was especially over-the-moon when their daughter Savanna was born on September 14, 1998. During the four days in which she needed to be in intensive care, Lloyd never left her side. It was the beginning of a deep and enduring bond that father and daughter shared throughout his life.

In 2003, Lloyd and Candace divorced but remained very close as they lovingly parented Savanna, their pride and Joy. Lloyd called his daughter "Savanna Darling" because that’s who she was to him, but he also called her "Sauce" because, as a child, she was sassy. The two of them loved spending time together and made long cross-country trips on vacation—to Las Vegas, Chicago, Florida, California and the Bahamas, to list a few.

Lloyd was fun-loving in many ways and somewhat childlike in his enjoyment of life. He loved to laugh and always rooted for the under-dog. Perhaps that’s why he enjoyed such TV shows as Seinfeld and The Big Bang Theory and movies like The Jungle Book, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, The Wizard of Oz, and A Beautiful Mind. The walls of his garage were covered in movie posters, and his head was filled with song lyrics of numerous singers. He could name songs and their corresponding albums for each of his favorite performers, including Madonna, Van Halen, Journey, Casey and the Sunshine Band, Belinda Carlisle as well as Katy Perry and other contemporary artists. Simply put, Lloyd loved music and “livin’ large,” as he was fond of saying.

Lloyd was very talented in all seasons. He was an avid snow skier in the winter and an expert water skier by summer. He lived by the water where he had two boats and one would often say, "Lloyd could put on a show on skis. "

Through mutual friends, Lloyd met Nicole Austin at a party in Royal Oak, Michigan in 2007. They became engaged a few years later in classic “livin’ large” fashion. Lloyd rented out the entire Rock on Third restaurant in Royal Oak, and proposed over a microphone in front of everyone in the bar. Lloyd and Nicole were ready to take on life as a couple when they moved to Dallas, Texas in early 2013. Sadly, he passed away unexpectedly at the age of 48 on Friday, July 26, 2013 in Dallas.

Though he was not a church-goer, Lloyd believed in God, prayed all the time and had a lot of faith—a comfort to the people he loved most.

Lloyd T. Mincy, Jr. Loving Father of Savanna. Dearest son of Lloyd Sr. and Karen. Beloved Fiance of Nicole Austin. Dear Brother of Craig (Carole), Lori (Jason) Winslow and Christy (Jim) McFadden. Dear Uncle of Nicholas, Alex, Rachel, Ben, and Isabel. Vistation Wednesday 2-9pm at the Neely-Turowski Life Story Funeral Home 30200 Five Mile (Between Middlebelt and Merriman). Funeral Service Thursday 1pm at the Funeral Home. Interment Lapham Cemetery in Salem Twp. Memorial Contributions may be made to Savanna Mincy, UTMA, through any Chase Bank. You may share a favorite memory, upload a photo and sign the guest book at www.TurowskiLifeStory.com before arriving at the funeral home.