Loyd Leroy Brinker

Former Engineer with Lockheed Martin,
Loyd. L. Brinker, 78, of Greenwood, SC died Friday afternoon as a result of complications from surgery. His daughter and son were with him as he departed.

Born in Finley,Ohio, September 1, 1933, Mr. Brinker was born the son of the late Jesse Mehr Brinker and Pauline Lemons Brinker. His interests included music, aviation, carpentry, genealogy and horsemanship.

A long time family friend said of Brinker that he was once "the finest horseman in Georgia", where in his younger years he trained horses, was foreman of a cattle ranch, and competed in rodeo events.

After suffering a serious injury, Mr. Brinker moved his family from South Georgia to the Atlanta area. There, he studied mechanical drawing and became a draftsman with Lockheed Aeronautics in Marietta. With Lockheed, Mr. Brinker advanced far beyond his level of education over his 30-year career to lead electronic system design teams for the C-5, F-117, and C-130J.

Mr. Brinker was much admired for his gentle but authoratative demeanor. He is survived by 3 daughters, a son, and grandchildren. He will be laid to rest a week from Saturday in Carmel Cemetery in Sutton Township, Ohio.

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