Ralph Robert Loyd

Ralph Robert "Bobby" Loyd, age 66, of Conway died Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2015 of a heart attack. He was born Sept. 24, 1949 in Nuremberg, Germany, to the late Inge and Troy Loyd, and is survived by his loving husband of 41 years, John Schenck. Fairy godfather to Justin Rawls, he will be deeply missed by a host of friends and people whose life he touched. Although born in Germany, Robert grew up in Damascus, Ark., attending Bee Branch/Southside School, including the original two room schoolhouse. In high school he was a member of the Beta club. Upon graduation from high school, Robert joined the Army, although he was courted by all five branches of the military. He served a tour in Vietnam that might have been shorter had he not often been compelled to speak out against injustices he saw. After his discharge from the Army, Loyd became a licensed hairdresser in Palm Beach, Fla., where he met his husband, John Schenck. Loyd and Schenck worked in New York for four years until they moved to Damascus, Ark. to care for Loyd's ailing mother. At one time they had salons in Damascus, Greer's Ferry, Heber Springs, Conway and Little Rock. Officially foster parents for 11 years and unofficially for many more, Loyd and his partner never turned away a child who had be abandoned due to their sexual orientation, serving as legal guardians for four of them. Often calling himself a reluctant activist, Loyd co-founded the Gay Pride Parade in Conway and fought tirelessly for gay rights in Arkansas and nationwide, even if it meant appearing at the Supreme Court in a suit and his trademark ruby slippers. This year's Conway Gay Pride Parade, the 13th, will be dedicated to his memory. Loyd and Schenck were often invited to share their experiences in the gay rights movement on college campuses, including UALR, UCA and Hendrix. Their story was also the subject of the award-winning documentary, "Pink Houses." Memorial donations can be made to Lucie's Place, 300 S. Spring Street #803, Little Rock, Ark. A memorial service in celebration of Robert's life in planned at St. Peter's Church, Conway, on January 16, at 1 p.m. Online guestbook: www.rollerfuneralhomes.com/conway.