Roy Gene Little, age 91, passed into the Lord's arms on November 17, 2024, at his home surrounded by his loving family. He was born on April 7, 1933, to Chester and Alberta Little in Providence, Kentucky. His family moved in 1936 to Detroit, Michigan, where he developed his life-long passion for cars. Roy graduated from Denby High School in Detroit and began his career with General Motors in 1951. After 47 years, he retired from the Mansfield, Ohio, GM plant in 1998, as a Tool & Die Estimator.
Roy married his high school sweetheart, Marjorie Schrade, on February 28, 1954. In 1960, they relocated to Mansfield. Together they raised 5 children during their 25 years of marriage. Family time was spent camping and attending their children's Boy Scout, 4-H, sports, band and church activities. Roy had a beautiful tenor voice and enjoyed singing in his church choirs, as well as performing in a few Mansfield Playhouse musical productions. He was a gentle, spiritual man and a loyal member of St. Paul Lutheran Church and later at Berean Baptist Church.
A lover of cars and fixer of all things, Roy spent a lot of time in his huge garage. For more than a decade he operated the Walker Lake Auto Clinic as a side business. Using his mechanical expertise, he helped countless friends and neighbors by repairing their cars at a reasonable rate. Roy also enjoyed spending many a Friday night and Sunday afternoon competing in drag racing with racecars he had built and maintained.
His second marriage of 30 years to Sandra Hencye began on December 27, 1980. Through this union he gained another lovely daughter. Roy and SanDee enjoyed their time spent with the Richland Rascals Camping Club and the Fun Center Corvette Club. They especially cherished family time with their children and grandchildren, watching dance recitals, track meets and football games. During his later years, Roy also loved attending Mid-Ohio Sports Car races and collecting model cars.
In addition to his parents, Roy was preceded in death by Marjorie (mother of his 5 children); and Sandra (his wife); sister, Marie Hicks; brother-in-law, Bob Hicks; nephew, Allen Hicks; and infant grandson, Scott Little. He is survived by brother, Bill (Roxann) Little; sister, Betty (Fred) Naz; six children, Tom (Nancy) Little, James (Susan) Little, Diane (Michael) Norris, Kathleen (Dale) Findley, Leslie (Lance) Little Rodgers, and Lori (Jay) Frost. He was also blessed with 14 grandchildren, Andrew, Daniel, David, Kristen, Ciara, Heath, Erika, Natalie, Nyle, Stephen, Owen, Morgan, Adyson, and Mason; as well as 3 great-grandchildren, Emerson, Sawyer, and Maliyah.
The family will receive friends from 4:00-6:00 p.m. on Friday, November 22, 2024, at Wappner Funeral Directors-Ontario, 100 S. Lexington-Springmill Road. The funeral service will be held in the funeral home on Saturday, November 23 at 10:00 a.m. with Pastor Chad Berry officiating. He will be laid to rest in Mansfield Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.
