Deceased Name: Lloyd Dewitt Plyler, 89

© Durant Daily Democrat

May 21, 2009

Submitted by: Jo Aguirre

Lloyd Dewitt Plyler, 89, a long-time resident of Durant and Sherman, Texas, passed away May 18, 2009, at Texoma Medical Center.

He was born on October 13, 1919, near Sims, Arkansas to A. D. and Stella Plyler. He traveled with his family as a baby by wagon and mule to Durant.

He graduated from Durant High School, married Helen Larue Kimbrough in 1940 and was father to three sons.

He began a long and varied carrier at the age of 8. He began working with his dad A. D., including working and managing sawmills, cotton gins and thrashing oats. He and his dad A. D. built a lot of houses in the area. Lloyd and his father worked on the Denison Dam, the railroad bridge and the Roosevelt Bridge on Lake Texoma as form carpenters.

He served in the Army Air Corps and attended college at Washington State University, studying maintenance and rebuilding of aircraft engines, including working on B-29 bombers. In 1946 he returned to Durant to work with his dad as a carpenter, building and repairing houses.

He built and operated an automotive repair garage.

His spare time was spent building boats, including a house boat, an all metal boat called the "Flying Saucer" and a flat-bottom boat with an aircraft engine. At 90 mph, it was the fastest boat on the lake and was featured in a magazine publication.

Lloyd had a passion for baseball and formed and managed Sand Lot Baseball teams in the early 1950s. Lloyd, his dad and several others built the first little and pony league parks in Durant. He later started and built the American Legion Baseball program in Durant into a major contender for years. He hosted state play-offs and organized tournaments and otherwise put Durant on the map concerning American Legion Baseball. Lloyd was honored when the city changed the park name to Lloyd Plyler Park. In 1960, he organized Lloyd Plyler Construction Company of Sherman, Texas, and Durant, and was soon building major projects nationwide. He was well known for his ability to construct projects at a record pace and within budget. Lloyd was still going to work on his 89th birthday.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Helen Plyler, parents and son, Ron Plyler.

Mr. Plyler is survived by his sons, Mike Plyler and Jerry Kim Plyler; brother ,Art Plyler; sisters, Mildred Eddins and Janice Maxwell; grandsons, David Plyler, Chris Plyler, Richard Plyler and Brant Plyler; granddaughters, Kimberly Floyd and Aimee Turner and fourteen great-grandchildren.

Honorary pallbearers will be employees of Plyler Construction.

Memorials may be made to the Little League Ball Program of Durant. Graveside services will be Friday at 10:30 a.m. at the Highland Cemetery in Durant.

Family suggests memorials to the Durant Parks Department ATTN: Keach Ballard 1201 NE Second Ave. Durant Oklahoma in care of the Lloyd Plyler Park Trust Fund.

Coffey-Murray Funeral Home is handling the arrangements. Condolences may be made at www.coffeymurray.com.

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