Lloyd McConnell

Lloyd Wilford McConnell, Jr, 83 of Fort Sumner, NM, passed away on Thursday, June 18, 2026 in Anchorage, Alaska. A Celebration of Life will be held at 11:00am, Saturday, July 25, 2026 at the First Baptist Church, Fort Sumner with Dr. Joe Bunce officiating.

Lloyd was born to Lloyd Wilford McConnell, Sr, and his wife Violet McConnell, in Pueblo, Colorado on October 1, 1942. Although that is disputed. When Lloyd went to apply for a US Passport, his mother sent him his birth certificate which stated he was born on October 2, 1942. When Lloyd asked his mom about the discrepancy in the dates, she stated: “I know when you were born, I was there! – they are wrong!”

Lloyd always loved horses and the western/cowboy way of life. At the age of 2, his mother was holding him in front of her while she was riding and suddenly, her horse bolted. She was terrified but when the horse was finally brought under control, Lloyd was giggling. While living in Colorado Lloyd worked in the vegetable fields and saved up enough money to buy a saddle. A year or two later, he had enough saved up to buy a palomino horse named “Goldie”.

In the mid 1950’s the family moved to Washington state and the horse and saddle moved at a later date. Initially they were caretakers for a dairy farm in Langley on Whidbey Island, Washington. After that his dad got a job in Seattle and they bought a house in Lynnwood, Washington, where his family lived for the next 10 years. He was never fond of all the of rain in the northwest so moved back to Colorado after graduating from high school, where he eventually married and began raising a family.

In 1970 Lloyd and his family moved to Alaska. Lloyd loved living in Alaska. He went to work for Unocal/Union 76 on the gas platforms in Cook Inlet where he would work 2 weeks on and then 2 weeks off. While in Alaska he ranched, outfitted, hunted and raised his children. Lloyd enjoyed team roping and rodeoed and involved his boys in 4H.

He retired from Unocal in 1997 and took a saddle making class. Lloyd enjoyed working with leather and it was a wonderful creative outlet for his talent.

After visiting his brother in Phoenix in the Winter of 1997, he decided Arizona was a better place to be in the winter time and in 1998 he moved to Arizona. In 1999 he met Heather Brigham and they were married in February 2000. In 2008, after getting tired of the hot Arizona summers, they moved to Fort Sumner, NM. Lloyd so loved the Fort Sumner community and his church family.

Lloyd was preceded in death by his father, Lloyd Wilford McConnell, Sr, his mother Violet McConnell, his son Bret McConnell, his grandson Jesse McConnell, and his brother Rick McConnell.

Lloyd is survived by his wife, Heather McConnell of Fort Sumner, NM; his son Mark McConnell of Alaska; daughters Shell Meyers and Sarah Davis of Oregon; granddaughters Chassie McConnell of Alaska, Demaris Cleverley of Vermont, and Marya McConnell of Alaska; his brother Denny McConnell of Texas; his sister Terry McConnell of Alaska; beloved great grandchildren and dear extended family and in-laws. He will be greatly missed.