Floyd Flowers was the fifth of six children and was born in 1927 in Cleveland, Minnesota. His parents were Chester and Irma (Reinhardt) Flowers. Floyd grew up on a large dairy farm and graduated from Cleveland High School in 1945. After graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he served three years and attained the rank of staff sergeant. After the Army, he attended Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota and Washington University in St. Louis.

Floyd married Harriet Cooper in 1953 in Mankato, Minnesota. The state of Wisconsin employed him until 1967 when he became the executive director of the Family Service Agency of DeKalb County. During his tenure with the agency, Floyd helped start programs such as Parents Without Partners, Meals on Wheels, the Senior Citizen Center, In-Home Care, and his greatest joy, Big Brothers Big Sisters. In 1981, Floyd retired due to retinitis pigmentosa, which causes blindness. The agency was renamed in 2008 to the Floyd Flowers Family Service Agency, honoring Floyd.

Floyd was a life member of the DeKalb Masonic Lodge, the Scottish Rite, the Tebala Shrine in Rockford, and the DeKalb County Shrine Club. He also participated in the Talking Books program from the Library of Congress and enjoyed more than 800 books over his last 20 years.

Floyd created the Floyd Flowers Family Service Agency Endowment Fund shortly before his death in 2008. The Fund provides financial support to the agency to help carry out its mission. The endowment is a fitting and lasting tribute to Floyd and the agency he loved.