Roy C. Brown

Beloved husband of Hester until her death last July at age 100, Roy C. Brown (birth certificate name Chester Roy Brown) died in the Grand Junction Veterans Administration Hospital on March 23, 2011. Born January 5, 1920, in Denver, Roy’s early years were spent in a Denver orphanage. He enlisted in the Army at the minimum age to fight in WWII and was wounded in flight as a bombardier gunner over Europe. He loved his country deeply. He married Hester MacGruder in December 1960 and the couple would have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2010. Though he studied chiropractic in the 1960s, Roy chose the career path of Journeyman Machinist specializing in big bore precision work. Always curious about life, in the 1990s Mr. Brown wrote a short book, The Mystery of the Lizards, about dinosaurs.

Roy and Hester moved from Denver to Grand Junction in 2006 to live at Grand Villa Assisted Care and to be close to family. Roy has no living blood relatives but will be missed by his step-children, Dede MacGruder (Dr. Jack A.) Hunter, Bella Vista, AR; Robert W. MacGruder, Grand Junction; and Marilyn MacGruder Barnewall, Palisade. He is survived by his step-children’s nine grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.

There will be a family-only private burial with full military honors but, on Roy’s request, no Memorial Service will be held. Memorial contributions may be made to Roy Brown, Grand Junction VA Medical Center, Hospice Fund, Patient Relations Department, 2121 North Avenue, GJ, CO 81501.