Remembering Patti Lloyd: Cape Cod Tourism Legend and ABA’s Heart of Service
A tribute to Patti Lloyd, whose life of passion, advocacy, and boundless volunteerism forever shaped the tourism and group travel industry.
With deep affection and heartfelt sorrow, the tourism community remembers Patti Lloyd, a woman whose presence lit up every room, every meeting, and every event she touched. Known across Cape Cod and the motorcoach industry as the embodiment of hospitality and volunteer spirit, Patti’s passing leaves an indelible void in the hearts of all who knew her.
For nearly 25 years, Patti served as Vice President of Sales for the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, where she became one of the most trusted and recognizable faces in tourism. She was tireless in her mission to showcase her beloved Cape Cod to the world—organizing tours, greeting motorcoaches, and representing the region at conferences nationwide. Her enthusiasm was legendary, her laughter unmistakable, and her generosity without end.
Her career earned her many honors, including the Larry D. Meehan Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey in 2024, and in 2025, the Mercy Otis Warren Cape Cod Woman of the Year title for civic leadership and community service. But Patti never worked for recognition—she volunteered “not to garnish awards or accolades,” as she once said, “but because volunteerism is in my genes.”
It was that very spirit that made Patti a cornerstone of the American Bus Association (ABA) community. For nearly three decades, she was a vibrant fixture at ABA’s annual Marketplace, where she championed Cape Cod with unmatched enthusiasm. “ABA has always been a family,” Patti said to Destinations magazine. “Marketplace allows for inclusion of the masses.” She lived those words—greeting first-time attendees, mentoring new members, and handing out her trademark Cape Cod Potato Chips with a warm smile that made everyone feel at home.
In 2024, on the ABA main stage, then-President Peter Pantuso announced a new award that would forever bear her name.
“I can’t have favorite members at ABA,” Pantuso said during his remarks, “but I can tell you that Patti is at the top of my list. She’s always willing to help ABA and other members—always anxious to give me her opinion, whether I asked for it or not. But it was always appreciated and valued. It kept us focused and on the right path.”
He went on to describe her as “the very definition of volunteer,” always giving her time freely—whether helping at registration, serving on committees, or assisting others even while undergoing cancer treatments. “She did it all with a smile,” he said. “If you look up the word ‘volunteer’ in Webster’s, I think it has a picture of Patti.”
Pantuso also recalled her eight years of service on the ABA Foundation Board, where she helped fund scholarships for more than 20 students each year. As he presented the new Lifetime Volunteer Service Award, he added, “In recognition of Patti’s ongoing volunteer spirit, this award—and all that follows—will forever bear her name: The Patti Lloyd Volunteer Service Award.”
Peter later reflected, “Patti was one of the most amazing people in the travel industry I ever met. Her spirit and willingness to help others was infectious. Her dedication to the industry, to family, and to friends was second to none. She was a blessing to all who knew her, and to those who didn’t know her but benefited from her work and knowledge.”
Her colleagues in the ABA family echo that sentiment.
“My heart hurts today with the loss of such a special lady, Patti Lloyd,” shared Vicki Osman, ABA’s Senior Vice President of Meetings, Events & Education. “She welcomed me into this industry, shaped part of my ABA story, and inspired so many with her generosity and spirit. I’ll miss her deeply, but knowing Patti, she’s probably already found new ways to volunteer and make people smile wherever she is.”
Kim Gryzwacz, 2026 ABA Marketplace Co-Chair, added: “When you hear Patti Lloyd’s name, you think Cape Cod. She was an amazing ambassador for her region. She was also one of the first faces to greet you at Marketplace, volunteering at registration. It was perfection when an award was created in her name. I was honored one year later to receive it with her in attendance. My life was blessed because of her, and I will honor her legacy by continuing to give of my time and talent. I challenge you to do the same.”
Danielle Wilkinson, her Marketplace Co-Chair, reflected: “I only met Patti once, but we were instantly connected over our love of sparkles—her cane, my shoes. She was an inspiration to everyone she met. I encourage you to bring out the sparkle in others, like Patti did with everyone she encountered.”
Said Fred Ferguson, ABA’s current President & CEO: “Patti Lloyd represented the very best of who we are as an association and as an industry. Her warmth, integrity, and relentless commitment to helping others set a standard we all strive to meet. Patti wasn’t just part of the ABA family — she helped define it. Her legacy will continue to shine through every volunteer she inspired, every student she helped support, and every life she touched along the way.”
“Patti was the kind of person who reminded us why community matters. She gave her time, her energy, and her heart to every person and project she touched,” shared ABA Board Chair Terry Fischer. “Whether she was helping a first-timer at Marketplace or representing Cape Cod with pride, she did it all with grace, humor, and a servant’s heart. Patti’s legacy isn’t just in the awards she earned — it’s in the way she made everyone around her feel valued and seen. We were all better for knowing her.”
Beyond the titles and accolades, Patti’s true legacy lies in her unwavering kindness, her mentorship, and her belief in the power of community. She showed generations of professionals what it means to give fully—to lead with heart and serve with joy.
Her laugh, her sparkle, and her compassion will forever echo through the halls of ABA’s Marketplace, in every scholarship awarded, and in every act of volunteerism inspired by her example.
Thank you, Patti, for showing us how to give, to serve, and to shine.
From the funeral home: IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, Patti would like everyone to volunteer for a cause, perform a random act of kindness and toast Patti with a hot fudge sundae. The family suggests that memorial donations may be made in her memory to The Patti Lloyd Hospitality Scholarship Fund, in care of The Cape Cod Foundation, 261 White’s Path, Unit 2, South Yarmouth, MA 02664. Or in her name to Tommy’s Place Foundation, Inc, tommysplace.org, 90 Shore Ave, Quincy, MA 02169.
