Lloyd Wilson Ruid passed away on Jan. 20, 2018, at Porter Hospice in Littleton, Colo. He was 99 years old. Wilson had resided at Porter Place Retirement and Assisted Living Community in Denver since Aug. 2007.

Born in Rice Lake, Wis., on Nov. 15, 1918, Wilson spent his early childhood in Rice Lake with his mother, Christine Wold Ruid. His father, Carl Alfred Ruid, was a railroad conductor who passed away in 1922 when Wilson was four years old. After his mother’s remarriage, Wilson moved with her to his stepfather’s family farm in Milan, Minn. His younger brother was born when Wilson was 12 years old.

Farm life and its harsh conditions did not deter Wilson’s budding curiosity. Later in life, he often remarked on how much he enjoyed working with the tools in the blacksmith’s shop on the farm. The rural landscape with its plows and farm machinery propelled his imagination into how machinery worked and agricultural systems operated, a quality that shaped his intellectual and artistic talents throughout his life.

After completing high school in Canby, Minn., Wilson worked for a year in a hardware store, an ideal pace for a young man with a growing interest in tools and materials. Mentoring by a minister in the local Lutheran Church led Wilson to enroll in undergraduate studies at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. It was here that he met his lifelong partner, Margaret (Seegmiller) Ruid ‘34, at a choral rehearsal. She had graduated some years earlier from Luther with a major in teaching and music. They both shared a love of classical music that would endure over the 65 years of their married life together.

With World War II on the rise, Wilson joined the United States Army. After basic training he returned to Decorah where he and Margaret were married on Nov. 1, 1942 on a three-day pass. He visited her several times again, traveling to Decorah from an Army base in Mississippi before he was deployed to Normandy following the first D-Day Invasion.

Wilson was stationed in northern France, Ardennes, the Rhineland, and central Europe. His graphic skills in drawing and writing, along with his facility with languages, particularly German, were key to securing positions in Army map rooms. He also served in the Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC).

Many years later, Wilson recalled in particular his time spent in Czechoslovakia and the welcoming spirit of the Czech people.

After the war, Wilson returned to Decorah, Iowa, and completed his studies at Luther College, graduating with a B.A. in art. He began a free-lance commercial art business there, later moving with Margaret and their young daughter to northwest Texas where he started an educational toy business with an Army friend.

Colorado beckoned, however, and Wilson and Margaret, along with their young daughter, moved to Denver in the late spring of 1949. Their second child, a son, was born in July. On the GI bill, Wilson enrolled in graduate courses at the University of Denver studying philosophy and religion while majoring in commercial art and business.

Pursuing his talents in graphic design and editing following graduate school, Wilson worked for the Rocky Mountain News and later for small commercial businesses that specialized in weather forecasting, particularly cloud-seeding, a newly developing science utilized widely during World War II.

Following his years in this field, Wilson was hired as a graphic designer and technical editor at Martin Marietta (now Lockheed Martin) where he was employed in aeronautics for 25 years until taking early retirement at the age of 62. This set him free to travel with his beloved life partner.

Wilson and Margaret traveled widely throughout the United States, Canada, Scandinavia, and Northern Europe, often retracing steps from Wilson’s time in the war.

The couple contributed generously to civic and cultural organizations and volunteered their time at several of them. They were members of the Colorado History Museum and Historical Society, Denver Art Museum, Botanic Gardens, Colorado Railroad Museum, Denver Symphony (now CSO) and symphony orchestras across the Front Range. Wilson and Margaret were also hosts for Luther College alumni gatherings in the Denver area.

Wilson loved trains and train travel and was a lifetime member of the Colorado Railroad Historical Foundation. Proud of his Scandinavian heritage, Wilson was a longtime member of the Sons of Norway chapter in the Denver metro region. He and Margaret travelled to Norway on two occasions.

After Margaret’s death in 2007, Wilson moved into Porter Place Retirement Community where he resided for more than a decade. He continued to be active in the things that he loved and attended classical music concerts at DU’s Lamont School of Music. New friends of a younger generation befriended him, inviting him to their homes and taking him for long drives where he enjoyed stimulating conversations. Wilson was always learning and expanding his mind.

Wilson is survived by a brother, a daughter, granddaughter, grandson, and great grandson. His son preceded him in death in Dec. 2017.

In honor of Wilson’s service in WWII, he and Margaret were interred in the columbarium at Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver.

In recognition of Wilson’s passion for classical music, a tribute fund has been set up in his name with Colorado Public Radio, CPR Classical, www.cpr.org, Attn: Tribute Gifts or mailed to Colorado Public Radio, Bridges Broadcast Center 7409 S. Alton Ct., Centennial, CO 80112, Phone number 303-871-9191.