UD Public Safety officer of 16 years dies after brief illness`

Officer Anthony “Tony” Cloyd died Thursday after a short illness. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia. 

Zoë Hill | News Editor

A longtime University of Dayton Public Safety Officer died Thursday after a short illness, according to an announcement from the university. 

Anthony “Tony” Cloyd, 59, joined UD Public Safety in 2005 and has served the UD community by patrolling the student neighborhood for 16 years. He had a “servant’s heart” and was devoted to the students who lived in the student neighborhood, according to the university. 

“He will be remembered as friendly, personable and kind, who would pay for meals out of his own pocket for the homeless he encountered on his beat,” UD officials said. “He was an example of what it means to be a University of Dayton police officer, combining professionalism with compassion and care.”

Flags on campus were flown at half-staff Friday in honor of Cloyd’s service to the university. Cloyd was also devoted to his family and is survived by his wife Deborah, two sons, a stepson, two grandchildren and numerous friends, students and colleagues who loved him. 

“He was a gentle, caring person,” UD President Eric Spina said. “This is a loss for the whole university.” 

The family will receive visitors Tuesday at the Rose Hill Funeral Home in Hamilton, Ohio, from 5 to 8 p.m.

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