ROY MAY BE OUT OF OUR SIGHT BUT WILL NEVER BE OUT OF OUR HEARTS OR MEMORIES, A MOST UNFORGETTABLE, LOVABLE MAN WHO HAD A HEART OF GOLD, ALWAYS THINKING AND DOING FOR OTHERS.
MARRIED FOR 62 YEARS WITH A LOVE FOR HIS WIFE, RITA, THAT WAS TOTALLY ADMIRABLE, EVEN AFTER HER DEMISE, HE TALKED TO HER EVERY DAY. ROY ALSO DID THE ROSARY TWO TO THREE TIMES A DAY. ROY AND RITA WERE DEVOUT CATHOLICS, NEVER MISSING A SUNDAY TO CHURCH EVEN WHEN THEY WERE TRAVELING.
ROY ENLISTED IN THE NAVY IN 1942 SERVING IN WORLD WAR II. FOUR YEARS OF SERVICE AND THEN IN THE NAVAL RESERVE FOR 30 YEARS. FROM HIS FIRST ENLISTMENT, HIS SERVICE WAS CHARACTERIZED BY EXTRAORDINARY DEDICATION TO DUTY AND EAGERNESS TO MAINTAIN HIGHLY TECHNICAL ADVANCES IN MILITARY EQUIPMENT WHICH ADVANCED HIM TO PETTY OFFICER FIRST CLASS. ROY WAS AWARDED THE NAVAL RESERVE MERITORIOUS MEDAL (4 AWARDS), THE ARMED FORCES RESERVE MEDAL (2 AWARDS), TWELVE OTHER MEDALS AND ONE RIBBON FROM THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AND THE PHILIPPINES. ROY SERVED AS PLANE CAPTAIN IN B-26'S TOWING GUNNERY TARGETS OVER GREAT LAKES TRAINING STATION; TRAINING ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE PILOTS IN AIR SEA RESCUE AT ALAMEDA AIR STATION; GREEN ISLAND FOR AIR SEA RESCUE OF DOWNED PILOTS AND OPERATING OUT OF THE SOLOMAN ISLANDS, THE FIJI ISLANDS, THE CAROLINE ISLANDS, THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS AND SAMAR ISLAND. ROY WAS DOWNED TWICE IN PBV RESCUE AIRCRAFT IN THE PHILIPPINE SEA. HE SERVED DILIGENTLY AS PLANE CAPTAIN/ENLISTED PILOT FOR 34 YEARS. HIS SERVICE AND CONCERN FOR SUBORDINATES AND SUPPORT OF SUPERIORS WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN. ROY WAS A MASTER PLUMBER AND A MASTER OF ART PAINTING. HE SPECIALIZED IN RELIGIOUS THEMES AND HIS MEDIA WAS OIL. HE ALSO DID MANY PORTRAITS OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS, BECAUSE OF HIS GENEROUS NATURE MOST OF HIS WORK WAS DONATED OR GIVEN AS A GIFT.
ROY WAS ACTIVE IN THE CAPE CORAL ART LEAGUE, VFW, KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, NAVY AIR CORE, TELEPHONE PIONEERS AND MOOSE LODGE. HE SPENT NUMEROUS HOURS COLLECTING ALUMINUM FOR THE HARRY CHAPIN FOOD BANK AND ALWAYS HAD A HELPING HAND WHENEVER THERE WAS A PLUMBING PROBLEM.
ROY'S YEARS OF SERVICE AND YEARS OF DEDICATION AND LOVE FOR HIS BELOVED WIFE, RITA, PLUS THE LOVING CARE AND CONCERN HE ALWAYS HAD FOR HIS FAMILY, FRIENDS AND CARE GIVERS WILL BE ETCHED IN OUR MEMORIES FOREVER.
WE LOVE YOU ROY, YOU WILL BE TRULY MISSED. PEACE BE WITH YOU NOW AND FOREVER.
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