Sidney Thomas Floyd was born on August 25, 1929, in Conway, South Carolina, to Ruth Smith and William Carter Floyd. He was a 1953 graduate of the University of South Carolina, where he served as president of the Pi Kappa Pi Fraternity. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict from 1950 to 1952 and thereafter returned to the University where he earned his LL.B. in 1956.
Following graduation, Floyd returned to Conway to practice law as a solo practitioner. He was elected to the S.C. House of Representatives and served from 1969 to 1976. He was also City Recorder for the city of Conway and taught business law at Coastal Carolina College. On May 4, 1977, Floyd was elected judge of the 15th Judicial Circuit to fill the unexpired term of Judge James B. Morrison. He served in that capacity until his retirement in 2001.
Judge Floyd was active in the Conway Jaycees, serving as president, and in the Conway Chamber of Commerce, serving as vice president. He was also a member of the South Carolina Bar and Horry County Bar Association. He was a long-time member of the First Baptist Church of Conway, where he served on the Board of Deacons and as a permanent trustee. He also taught the Angler A’s Sunday school class for many years.
A universal response among members of the bar concerning Judge Floyd is that when they were young lawyers just starting their practices, Judge Floyd was always very cordial and helpful to them as they attempted to negotiate their way through the unfamiliar profession that they had chosen. The same response would be elicited from all of the numerous witnesses and litigants from all walks of life who appeared in court before Judge Floyd because he also treated them with kindness and respect, and did everything within his power to put them at ease and to make them comfortable in what was undoubtedly an unsettling and perhaps even frightening experience.
Judge Floyd is survived by his wife, Anne Skinner Floyd; four children, William Thomas Floyd, Anita Ruth Floyd, Patricia Floyd Goldfinch, and Frances Floyd Dennis; four grandchildren, April Goldfinch Smith, Steven Lewis Goldfinch Jr., John Wiley Dennis III and Sydney Ann Floyd; one great-granddaughter, Ashleigh Marin Smith; and one sister, Mozelle Floyd Goldfinch.