Reagan Milton Floyd

July 21, 1945 - January 23, 2022

Reagan Milton Floyd, 76, of Richardson, Texas, went home to be with the Lord on January 23, 2022, in Georgetown, Texas. Reagan was born on July 21,1945 in Dallas, Texas to the late Frank Milton Floyd, Jr. and Carolyn Floreen Floyd. He is survived by his two beloved sisters, Susan Valliant and Annette Murphy, who gave him a lifetime of joy that was always marked by boisterous laughter, food, and fellowship. As a young Texan in a Post-war family, Reagan enjoyed a classically American childhood during the 1940s and 50s. He was fond of recounting childhood memories that included hanging around airports with his father who had been an instructor pilot for the Army, camping out and earning merit badges with the Boy Scouts, and working the early-morning hours throwing his paper routes for the Dallas Times Herald. But like many from his baby boom era, he was also a modest boy from a modest background. He likely would have never told you he was the captain of his varsity football team at Carrolton High School as a junior, or that he was picked as the runner-up "Most Handsome" by Elizabeth Taylor--which he always joked must have been the result of some mix-up. After high school, Reagan took an entry-level job at the Taylor Book company where he learned about the photographic process of publishing. Although he didn't know it at the time, that experience gave him a unique combination of knowledge and skills that he would parlay into a long career with Texas Instruments (TI) during the early years of the semiconductor industry. At TI (and later with Nippon and Photronics), he led and managed a core group of loyal T.I.’ers who stayed with him for the majority of his career. Reagan and his team worked to produce several cutting-edge photomask designs for their time, the most notable of which were used in the U.S. military's early versions of night-vision goggles and HARM missile guidance systems. In the late 1970s, TI and his team were prominently featured in National Geographic for their early work in the semiconductor industry. On July 1, 1972, Reagan married Jo Ann Floyd. They had 49 fruitful years of marriage enjoying life together. Theirs was a true partnership. They enjoyed traveling through the mountains of New Mexico and Colorado; camping and fishing the great bass fishing lakes of East Texas; and cooking and preparing large meals for countless family and friends at their home on Dover Drive, where for 49 years they lived together and raised their family. After retiring from the semiconductor industry, Reagan began driving a school bus, which naturally suited some of his very best talents, interests and loves. He drove a special needs bus for the Richardson Independent School District for several years, and his precious riders learned first-hand of his natural gifts as a teacher and his love of children. It wasn’t uncommon for the little hands and feet that boarded his bus each day to come bearing homemade gifts and expecting regular hugs before and after their rides together. He was privileged to serve the same students over several years, and he counted those years with them (and their parents) as some of the most fulfilling years of his working life. Those who knew Reagan remember him as a wise and dependable father, son, and friend who was known by boisterous laughter about things that mattered little and a trusted dispenser of wisdom and concern about things that did. His distinctive qualities always seemed to manifest themselves best in his willingness to lend a helping hand on a friend's project or be the steady hand of support for a family member. But no description of Reagan could ever leave out that he was an avid bass fisherman and devoted father--two aspects of his life that usually went hand-in-hand. As most knew him, his weekend life typically started well before dawn with a rod and reel in hand and ended sometime after dark with a plate of barbeque. Like most things in his life, he was persistent, methodical and focused while he was on the water, but he also had a deep-seated need to relax in nature and enjoy the beauty and solace that his Creator had provided. And, it was on the water that his best qualities as a father and friend emerged. He was generous with his time and his listening ear during those long days on the water, but he never missed an opportunity to to impart some nugget of wisdom or spiritual knowledge to those he held captive in the back seat of his boat. Reagan was also a tinkerer. On the rare occasion that he wasn't fishing or attending one of his son's or grandchildren’s many games or events, he was tending to a creative project or "tinkering" in his shed. He always had a creative project in the works or was hoping a friend or family member would soon start one. Despite his failing health, he continued his "tinkering" well into his 70s. Raised in a Christian home, Reagan placed his faith in Jesus Christ as a teenager. He felt fortunate to have been led early on by faithful men like Chuck Swindoll--who was one of his best Sunday School teachers--and deeply gifted intellects like Dr. William J. McRae, Dr. Sam Storms, Dr. S. Lewis Johnson and Dan Duncan. He felt indebted to their ministry of the Word because it fed him spiritually and helped him metabolize some of the weightiest theological truths that he held so dear. It was their example and teaching that always kept his faith informed with the Truth and constantly prompted him to look forward in hope of its certain fulfillment. In the months leading up to his death, he was expectantly looking to the day that he would be with his Lord. Reagan was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife, JoAnn Floyd; his son, Randy Milton Floyd and wife, Felicia of Georgetown; his two sisters, Annette Murphy of Wylie and Susan Valliant and husband, John of Wylie; his granddaughter, Emma Rose Floyd; his three grandsons, Calvin Milton Floyd, Brooks Edwin Floyd, and Henry Hiram Floyd; and numerous nieces, nephews and other loving family members and friends. A memorial service will be held Monday, January 31st at 10:00am at Believers Chapel, 6420 Churchill Way, Dallas, TX, 75230 with Dan Duncan officiating. A graveside service will follow at 2:00 pm at Harris Creek Cemetery in Tyler, Texas. In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift to Believers Chapel.