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Lloyd C. Painter of Kerrville, TX, passed away quietly and suddenly in his sleep at his Comanche Trace Hill Country home on July 11, 2023.
Lloyd was born on May 1, 1941, in Dos Palos, CA, to Jean (nee Sorg) and Lloyd A. Painter where he grew up in a very modest family with his younger sister, Terri, in the Central Valley of California.
He dedicated a lot of time working on farms, tuning his cars, and spending time with family and friends. He was well-liked and could make any stranger feel like a lifelong friend through his friendly conversation and stories of his exceptional life experiences. He graduated from Dos Palos High School in 1959 and attended California State University, Fresno, graduating in 1965 with a bachelor’s degree. He spent the next six years in the Navy on assignments such as Midway Island and as a young Lieutenant line officer on the USS Liberty. This otherwise uneventful assignment impacted him for the rest of his life as he was the officer of the deck when the Israeli Defense Forces attacked the ship near Egypt for several hours on June 14, 1967, killing dozens of US Servicemen and wounding over a hundred more. He was awarded the Purple Heart and was in charge of organizing the wounded while the ship limped to Malta where a very high-level US government investigation was opened and quickly closed. He was then assigned to Bremerhaven, Germany, for his next and last assignment in the Navy that brought another life changing event for him where he married the love of his life, Ingrid Klotz, on December 4, 1969. His discharge brought them back to California where he experienced another impactful event when he found a flyer on a wall seeking people for the US Secret Service. He served from 1971 until his retirement in 1997 as a Special Agent in the US Secret Service where he worked protecting Presidents, visiting political dignitaries, and religious leaders. He was assigned to George Wallace’s detail when he was shot, the Eisenhower ranch, the White House, and various field offices. During his time in the Secret Service his proudest moment came when his daughter, Tara, was born. After retirement they spent some time in California but ultimately felt at home in the Comanche Trace community of Kerrville, TX, where Ingrid and he spent the last 17 years of his life. He loved the community, spending time with Ingrid, Tara, and Jim, speaking at many engagements, retelling his experiences for the History Channel and many authors, being a member of the Kerrville Rotary Club, Comanche Trace Association, US Secret Service Association, USS Liberty Veteran’s Association, and many others.
He is survived by his wife of 54 wonderful years Ingrid, his daughter Dr. Tara Malec and her husband Jim Malec (Colonel, USAF ret), and many close family and friends.
Lloyd will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery with military honors.
Lloyd was born on May 1, 1941, in Dos Palos, CA, to Jean (nee Sorg) and Lloyd A. Painter where he grew up in a very modest family with his younger sister, Terri, in the Central Valley of California.
He dedicated a lot of time working on farms, tuning his cars, and spending time with family and friends. He was well-liked and could make any stranger feel like a lifelong friend through his friendly conversation and stories of his exceptional life experiences. He graduated from Dos Palos High School in 1959 and attended California State University, Fresno, graduating in 1965 with a bachelor’s degree. He spent the next six years in the Navy on assignments such as Midway Island and as a young Lieutenant line officer on the USS Liberty. This otherwise uneventful assignment impacted him for the rest of his life as he was the officer of the deck when the Israeli Defense Forces attacked the ship near Egypt for several hours on June 14, 1967, killing dozens of US Servicemen and wounding over a hundred more. He was awarded the Purple Heart and was in charge of organizing the wounded while the ship limped to Malta where a very high-level US government investigation was opened and quickly closed. He was then assigned to Bremerhaven, Germany, for his next and last assignment in the Navy that brought another life changing event for him where he married the love of his life, Ingrid Klotz, on December 4, 1969. His discharge brought them back to California where he experienced another impactful event when he found a flyer on a wall seeking people for the US Secret Service. He served from 1971 until his retirement in 1997 as a Special Agent in the US Secret Service where he worked protecting Presidents, visiting political dignitaries, and religious leaders. He was assigned to George Wallace’s detail when he was shot, the Eisenhower ranch, the White House, and various field offices. During his time in the Secret Service his proudest moment came when his daughter, Tara, was born. After retirement they spent some time in California but ultimately felt at home in the Comanche Trace community of Kerrville, TX, where Ingrid and he spent the last 17 years of his life. He loved the community, spending time with Ingrid, Tara, and Jim, speaking at many engagements, retelling his experiences for the History Channel and many authors, being a member of the Kerrville Rotary Club, Comanche Trace Association, US Secret Service Association, USS Liberty Veteran’s Association, and many others.
He is survived by his wife of 54 wonderful years Ingrid, his daughter Dr. Tara Malec and her husband Jim Malec (Colonel, USAF ret), and many close family and friends.
Lloyd will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery with military honors.