[MD-Sligo] Lloyd Gerald Rasmussen Obituary

[Wayne Nettles]

Obituary
Lloyd Gerald Rasmussen January 26, 1947—September 13, 2021 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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). 

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. 
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