Lloyd Albert Gathright, age 106, of Batesville, died Sunday, August 25, 2024.
At the time of his death, Lloyd was the oldest living World War II veteran in Arkansas, and the oldest living Scottish Rite Mason in the United States.
He was born in Batesville on September 20, 1917, to Geneva Rogers Gathright and Graton Emery Gathright. He grew up in Batesville spending time with his best friends Johnny Glenn and Ray Stokes, often playing along Poke Bayou. The three built a glider with Gathright as pilot, who became airborne for a short distance before crashing into a barbed wire fence. He graduated from Batesville High School and later graduated from college in Oklahoma.
Lloyd was an orchestra member that played in Batesville and the surrounding area. He also played with the Carl Larsen Family Band with Grace Larsen on bass. (Grace Larsen Dobson became head of the Whataburger chain after the death of her husband Harmon Dobson.) Lloyd later played trombone in Army bands.
Lloyd was a career Army serving in Alaska during World War II and state-side and in Europe following the War. After retiring from the military, he owned a small business in California before moving to Reno where he worked in accounting and as a casino security officer. He retired to Wimer, Oregon, where he devoted years to gardening, sharing his produce with his neighbors and sharing his knowledge of gardening as a Master Gardener.
In 2013 he returned to Batesville where he married Lorene Brent Kilbreath, a Batesville native who had returned home from Texas after the death of her first husband. They met at a reunion and had a common interest in genealogy. He moved to Woodcrest Assisted Living in 2017 when Lorene moved to the adjacent nursing home.
Lloyd attended Sharp United Methodist Church and Central Avenue United Methodist Church and was a Mason, a 32nd-degree KCCH Scottish Rite Mason, a Shriner and a member of Eastern Star.
Lloyd is survived by his step-daughter Frankie Redding of Oregon, nieces Paula Brent Stewart and Cathi Brent Cagle, great nephew Graton ”Sparky” Gathright of Washington, other great nieces and nephews, great-great nieces and nephews and two great-great-great nieces.
He was preceded in death by his parents, wives Ruth, Muriel and Lorene, son Howard Paul Gathright, daughter Donna Fay Pappas, and brothers Roger and Howard Gathright.
A memorial service with Masonic Rites will be at Roller-Crouch Chapel at 1:00 PM, Saturday, September 7 with Frank Tripp officiating. A graveside service with Military Rites will follow at Oaklawn Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Sharp United Methodist Church, c/o Thomas Wood, 6190 White Drive, Batesville AR 72501; Central Avenue United Methodist Church, 1205 North Central Avenue, Batesville AR 72501; or Scottish Rite Childhood Language Program, 1733 Sixteenth Street, NW, Washington DC 20009 or donate directly via www.scottishrite.org.
His family would like to thank Woodcrest Assisted Living, and Woodlawn Heights and Caring Hands Hospice who made sure he was comfortable in his last days.
