Charles Francis Lloyd

Charles Francis Lloyd, 90, of Wichita, Kansas, died peacefully on November 8, 2026. He leaves a legacy of honor, intellect, and a distinguished career in aviation.

Charles was born in November 1935 in Jackson, Mississippi, to A.E. and Helen Lloyd, and was raised in Birmingham, Alabama. He carried the values of his Southern upbringing throughout his life. He graduated from The McCallie School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with the Class of 1953, and remained a loyal alumnus who supported and mentored McCallie students decades later through the school’s mentor program.

He went on to Auburn University (then Alabama Polytechnic Institute), graduating in 1957 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. Upon graduation, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. He completed The Basic School in 1958, rose to the rank of First Lieutenant, and served at the Naval Ordnance Test Station in China Lake, California, before completing his active duty with honorable service in 1960. He later earned a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alabama in 1962.

Charles possessed a lifelong passion for flying, turning his love for the skies into a fulfilling professional journey. He held an Airline Transport Pilot certificate, was a certified flight instructor, and held several type ratings. He spent decades in the industry, lending his expertise to some of the field’s most prominent companies, including Cessna, Raytheon, and NetJets.

Beyond the cockpit, he was an avid photographer who especially loved taking pictures of airplanes, and he wrote articles for Cessna Flyer.

His career brought him to the Wichita area, which became home and where he joined Community of Christ Church. A member of the Priesthood, he served as an Elder in his congregation. In his later years at his retirement community, Regent Park, he taught classes for his fellow residents and found joy in helping them. He will be remembered by all who knew him as a devoted husband and family man, admired for his sharp technical brilliance, disciplined leadership, and enduring warmth.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Thomas Lloyd.

He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Sara H. Lloyd; his daughter, Sharon Lloyd McLaughlin, and her husband, Bart; his son, Charles F. Lloyd, Jr., and his wife, Allison, and their children, Patrick and Callie; his stepson, Shaun Evans, and his wife, Naomi; his stepdaughter, Kara Hunt, and her husband, Aaron, and their children, Sophia and Isabella; his sister-in-law, Patricia Lloyd; and his cousins, Emily Lloyd and Janice Lloyd McQuaid, and their families.

A celebration of life will be held at Community of Christ Church, 3500 S. Webb Road, Derby, Kansas, on Thursday, November 19, at 11 a.m.

Flowers are welcome, or memorial contributions may be made to Community of Christ Church in Derby, Kansas, or to The McCallie School, 500 Dodds Avenue, Chattanooga, TN 37404.