[BlindTlk] Fwd: [MD-Sligo] Lloyd Gerald Rasmussen Obituary

[David Andrews]

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>Obituary
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>Lloyd Gerald Rasmussen January 26, 1947—September 13, 2021
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>Lloyd was born in Lohrville, Iowa, a town of 
>approximately 300 people. He attended the Iowa 
>Braille and Sight Saving School where he learned 
>that those little magical dots called braille 
>could open a new world to him. He was an avid reader all his life.
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>Lloyd obtained his novice amateur radio license 
>when he was eight years old, one of the youngest 
>people to do so. He encouraged many others, both 
>blind and sighted, to obtain their licenses.
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>Lloyd attended Iowa State University and 
>graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in 
>Electronics Engineering, one of the first blind 
>people to be awarded a degree in this field. He 
>used readers, braille graphs and slide rules to 
>complete his complicated math classes. His first 
>job was with Collins Radio where he tested 
>instruments to help airplanes navigate in the fog.
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>Lloyd moved to Maryland in 1975 to work for the 
>National Library Service for the Blind and Print 
>Disabled. He helped to design talking book 
>players, enabling thousands of blind people to 
>read audio books. More recently, he was working 
>on the design and testing of portable electronic 
>braille reading devices. These devices allow 
>blind people to download books in braille 
>formatted files from the Library for the Blind 
>and Print Disabled collection, as well as 
>newspapers and other documents. He loved his 
>work, and felt he was making a difference in 
>people’s lives, especially for newly blind 
>people who thought they had lost the pleasure of reading.
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>For over 50 years, Lloyd was very active in the 
>National Federation of the Blind. He held 
>offices both at the state and local level, 
>taught technology classes, as well as printed 
>thousands of braille pages for seminars, 
>children’s programs, chapel services and conventions.
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>Since 1983, Lloyd has been attending 
>Presbyterian Church of the Atonement. He served 
>terms as both an elder and deacon, sang in the 
>choir, served as a small group leader, and 
>played conga drums in Alternate Melody, 
>Atonement's praise and worship team. He loved 
>all of it, and considered his church to be his extended family.
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>Lloyd is survived by his wife, Judy, his brother 
>Paul, of California, his sister, Janice Brown of 
>Oregon and six nieces and nephews. He loved his 
>Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and I know he is 
>now rejoicing with fellow believers.
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>To give God the glory and to celebrate Lloyd’s 
>life, services will be held on Saturday, October 
>16 at 11:00am at the Presbyterian Church of the 
>Atonement, 10613 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, 
>Maryland, 20902. The main entrance to the church 
>is off Plyers Mill, at the back of the church. A 
>luncheon will be held after the service. The 
>service will also be live streamed from the 
>church website or Facebook page: 
>www.atonementlife.org or Church of the 
>Atonement, Silver Spring, MD (Facebook).
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>Memorial gifts may either be given to the 
>National Federation of the Blind of Maryland, or 
>to Presbyterian Church of the Atonement. Church 
>contributions may be mailed to the church 
>address or given through the church website 
>(both listed above) and designated to the Lloyd 
>Rasmussen Memorial. If you have any questions or 
>require more information, you may email info at atonementlife.org.