Riverton lost great leader in Lloyd

It may seem odd to many that a man of 26 and a woman of 70 were friends, yet I counted Sandra Lloyd as one of my dear friends. I first met Sandra during her first campaign for mayor of Riverton in 1993. She spoke about her vision for Riverton to a class of ninth-graders. I doubt that was the best use of her time, politically speaking, but to Sandra there would have been no better use of time. Her vision for Riverton was as a mature woman who saw nothing but the bright future ahead of her, her children and grandchildren. She believed we could accomplish anything we wanted. And she was there to team up with us and make that happen.

Over the years I worked with Sandra in several capacities. She never saw me as a young teenage boy, but as a dedicated citizen trying to make the community better. To her, age, sex, wealth, talent or any other category made little difference. She cared about character, determination, heart and dedication.

Sandra was a patient woman when it came to people developing themselves. She'd help you; however, she was demanding and determined to not let anyone shirk or get away with doing anything less than their best. She helped people learn to reach a little higher, stretch a little farther, give a little more and care beyond what they knew they could.

Her best teaching method was by modeling the very skills and characteristics she attempted to instill in others. In 12 years, I never saw her take a "day off." Her thoughts about her beloved Riverton were foremost on her mind.

Sandra was a full-time mayor on a part-time salary. In my capacity as her youth mayor — which she considered a "Cabinet level" position — I was to lead by example. She was on the scene whenever there was a hint of necessity.