Dolly Loyd, Instructor Emerita of Marketing at The University of Southern Mississippi, died Oct. 29 in Hattiesburg. She was 73.

Dolly Loyd, Instructor Emerita of Marketing at The University of Southern Mississippi, died Oct. 29 in Hattiesburg. She was 73.

A memorial service for Loyd will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 2 at Temple Baptist Church in Hattiesburg, with visitation starting at 10 a.m. at the church. Hulett-Winstead Funeral Home in Hattiesburg is in charge of arrangements.

A native of Jackson, Miss., Loyd earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from USM. She worked in the retail industry before bringing her knowledge and experience to academia as a member of the faculty in the USM Department of Marketing, where she served for 35 years before retiring in 2014. A popular member of the campus community, she was an ardent supporter of Southern Miss athletics, served on numerous University committees and volunteered to assist many charitable causes.

Dr. Faye Gilbert, dean of the Southern Miss College of Business and a USM alumna, first came to know Loyd when Gilbert was an undergraduate marketing major. Gilbert served as president of the student chapter of the American Marketing Association, of which Loyd served as advisor for 30 years.

“She was a beloved member of the community and certainly of the USM College of Business, but more broadly than that,” said Dr. Faye Gilbert, dean of college. “Across the nation, if you were to ask someone about the USM Department of Marketing, I believe the first person they would think of was Dolly Loyd. She represented Southern Miss in everything she did and was a powerful force on this planet and at the University.”

She was active in her sorority, Alpha Sigma Alpha, served as advisor to Kappa Alpha Order and is a member of the USM Greek Hall of Fame. Following her retirement, the Dolly Loyd Marketing Scholarship Endowment was established at the University.

Laurie Benvenutti, assistant director of undergraduate admissions for events and telecounseling at USM, was one of Loyd’s many former students and said her smile and enthusiasm for all things were contagious.

“Her classes were anything but dull, and she had a wonderful way of incorporating stories from her life into her lessons,” Benvenutti said. “I’m thankful to have had the opportunity to know and to be taught by Ms. Loyd. Her legacy will live on for many years at Southern Miss.”

Memorials to Loyd may be made to the USM Foundation, c/o Dolly Loyd Scholarship, 118 College Drive, Hattiesburg, Miss. 39406 or to Alpha Sigma Alpha Foundation, 9002 Vincennes Circle, Indianapolis, Ind. 46268.