Obituary – Ellis Lloyd Posey Jr.

Mr. Ellis Lloyd Posey Jr., age 91, passed away Wednesday, December 29, 2021 in Mena, Arkansas at home. He was born October 8th, 1930 in Mena to the late Ellis Lloyd Posey, Sr. and Mary Alice McAllister Posey. 

Lloyd attended Bethany Nazarene College where he met Anna. On June 14, 1953, Lloyd and Anna tied the knot in a double wedding with his sister, Dorothy and his best friend, Charles. Lloyd later attended Moody Bible Institute and was involved in ministry there. 

Lloyd’s primary occupation was assistant pastor/pastor. He also taught school and was a principal for a short time. Lloyd graduated from Luther Rice Seminary with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in the early 1970’s, and he retired as a Methodist minister. 

Lloyd’s character stood out as a shining testimony to all who knew him. His love for Jesus was evident as he faithfully modeled a life devoted to Christ. He was a tender husband who spent much of his later years sacrificially caring for his wife with dementia. He was a gentle and wise father and grandfather who effortlessly earned admiration and respect by leading his loved ones through his example as a servant. 

He approached life with passion and attention to detail. Whether it was mountain climbing with his grandkids, delivering a spellbinding speech, or performing a musical solo for a crowd, his intentionality and poise were evident. Always an enthusiast for learning, Lloyd educated himself on something new on a regular basis. It was not uncommon to find him digging into a new history book or strategizing his next chess move. One of his most notorious accomplishments was building his own retirement home from the ground up with the help from his loved ones. He was known as the man who could fix anything or do anything he set his mind to. 

Lloyd is preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Dorothy Faith Bolin; his son, Philip Gordon Posey, and his grandson, Timothy Todd Chapin. He is survived by his wife, Anna Ruth Posey and his daughter, Sherry Lynne Chapin of Mena, Arkansas. He also has nine grandchildren and twenty-two great grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother, Clayton Posey of Wayne, Oklahoma and sisters, Alice Gwendolyn Neal of Bethany, Oklahoma, and Maralyn Vay Chandler of Conway, Arkansas. 

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, January 5th, 2022 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Mena First United Methodist Church. Funeral service will follow on Thursday, January 6th, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. at the Mena First United Methodist Church, with interment following at Pinecrest Memorial Park in Mena, Arkansas. Reverend Scott Stewart will be officiating under the direction of Beasley-Wood Funeral Home.